Netanyahu Secretly Met UAE President Seeking Denial of Hamas Attack Warning

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates over the weekend, meeting with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Sunday. The primary purpose of the unusual trip was to ask the UAE leader to publicly deny reports that he had warned Netanyahu of an impending Hamas threat shortly before the October 7, 2023, terror attack.

The hour-long meeting, confirmed by two officials briefed on Netanyahu's travel, focused on a report published earlier this month in the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz." According to that report, the UAE president himself had conveyed an early warning to Netanyahu about an imminent Hamas attack just before the October 7th massacre. Netanyahu requested Sheikh Mohamed to officially deny this report during their meeting. The Prime Minister's office had previously denied the "Haaretz" publication, and this effort aimed to secure a denial from the Emirati side as well.

Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity surrounding the secret trip. The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment directly on the meeting but stated that the country maintains "open and direct communication channels" with Israel and shares "all relevant intelligence."

Middle East analyst Yoni Ben Menachem commented on the visit, suggesting it is causing a stir in the Arab world and is being interpreted as a step towards escalating the military confrontation with Iran. He speculated that the meeting might be part of broader coordination with the United States, potentially in preparation for a military move related to upcoming US midterm elections or in response to potential Iranian actions against American bases in the Gulf. Ben Menachem noted that some analysts believe Iran might be planning an attack on US bases to influence the US elections, while others suggest Iran might be preempting a potential US strike after the elections.