Netanyahu's Secret Trip to UAE to Urge MBZ to Deny October 7 Warning Signs
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during a secret meeting on Sunday (27/9/2026) to refute Haaretz reports claiming he had been warned of an imminent Hamas attack prior to 7 October 2023. This was revealed in a Haaretz report on Tuesday (29/9/2026), citing a source familiar with the matter.
The source addressed the Haaretz report regarding the meeting between Netanyahu and MBZ, noting that the two reportedly met at an airport. Netanyahu requested the UAE President to deny reports concerning their telephone conversations and specific details of events preceding 7 October that could cause him embarrassment. He also sought what the source described as “moral support.”
Netanyahu reportedly held a one-hour meeting with MBZ, according to two individuals briefed on Netanyahu’s travels. Haaretz stated that the person revealing Netanyahu’s request to MBZ was directly aware of the meeting. The source spoke anonymously as the meeting was intended to be clandestine.
The UAE Ministry declined to comment on the reports of the meeting between Netanyahu and MBZ, but maintained a “direct and open line of communication” with Israel and shared “relevant intelligence.”
According to a Haaretz investigation published earlier this month, MBZ called Netanyahu approximately one and a half weeks before 7 October 2023 and spoke with him for 45 minutes. MBZ explicitly warned Netanyahu that Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, was planning a major operation against Israel.
In the Haaretz investigation, MBZ expressed concern that the attack could lead to bloodshed and regional destabilisation, threatening the Abraham Accords, and urged Netanyahu to take the warning seriously. The report further noted that MBZ was shocked by Netanyahu’s response.
Netanyahu reportedly reacted relatively calmly, stating he believed Hamas was planning actions in the West Bank and assuring the West Bank that Israel was prepared for any scenario. Netanyahu did not inform the Israeli security leadership of MBZ’s warning.
Netanyahu has denied the Haaretz reports, calling the investigation an “absolute lie” and threatening to sue Haaretz and journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval. “Prime Minister Netanyahu did not speak to the UAE President during the period mentioned and did not receive a warning from him,” stated a press release from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
On Saturday (26/9/2026), two sources, including one speaking to MBZ, confirmed to The New York Times that the UAE leader had indeed provided warnings to Netanyahu regarding a “major attack” by Hamas shortly before 7 October 2023.