Netanyahu Met UAE President Amid Reports of Pre-Oct. 7 Hamas Warning

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret weekend visit to the United Arab Emirates for a one-hour meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The meeting occurred against the backdrop of reports that the UAE leader had allegedly warned Netanyahu about an impending Hamas attack before October 7. Sources familiar with the trip told The Times of Israel that Netanyahu asked Sheikh Mohamed to publicly deny claims that he had alerted the Israeli prime minister to a Hamas attack shortly before it occurred. This discussion was prompted by a September publication in the newspaper Haaretz, which asserted that the UAE president had informed Netanyahu in advance about the threat from Hamas. The October 7 attack marked the beginning of the subsequent war.

One source with direct knowledge of the meeting stated that Netanyahu sought a denial from Sheikh Mohamed regarding the Haaretz report. Netanyahu's office had previously denied the newspaper's assertions. News of the visit emerged after an initial report by Israel's Channel 12. The sources who provided details about the meeting requested anonymity. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not directly comment on the meeting but emphasized that Abu Dhabi maintains open communication channels with Israel and shares relevant intelligence.

Netanyahu's office has not yet officially commented on the reports concerning the secret visit or its agenda.