UAE President Warned Netanyahu of Palestinian 'Explosion,' Report Claims

The President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, reportedly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a potential "explosion" with the Palestinians, according to a new report by Kan 11. Bin Zayed allegedly shared this information with several individuals, including CIA Director Bill Burns. The exact timing of the conversation is unclear, and it is believed to have been a general warning rather than concerning a specific, imminent threat.

This report follows an earlier investigation by Haaretz concerning alleged intelligence from the UAE to Israel prior to the October 7th Hamas attacks. While some Israeli officials have denied parts of the Haaretz report, the new claim from Kan 11 adds another layer to the controversy. Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials continue to deny that any such security-related conversation took place.

Adding to the political fallout, the Likud party has demanded a criminal investigation into Haaretz journalists Schlomo Eldar and Ruth Yuval, alleging foreign interference in Israeli elections. Likud has also raised questions about potential connections between Israeli political figures and UAE entities, pointing to a previously undisclosed visit by Yair Golan to Abu Dhabi in June. However, no evidence has been presented linking this visit to the Haaretz report.

Further claims from Likud suggest the involvement of Palestinian official Mohammed Dahlan, who resides in the UAE, and alleged financial ties between journalist Schlomo Eldar and political figures. These claims remain unsubstantiated by public evidence at this time. Meanwhile, reports from the US indicate that Biden administration officials were unaware of any specific warning from the UAE about a large-scale Hamas attack.

President Isaac Herzog also denied any knowledge of such a warning, with his office stating that his conversations with bin Zayed in the months leading up to October 7th did not concern security matters, Hamas, or its leader Sinwar. Herzog stated he was "unaware of the alleged warning."