Netanyahu Reportedly Asked UAE President to Deny Pre-Oct. 7 Warning

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly made a secret visit to Abu Dhabi on Sunday, meeting with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed for about an hour, according to Associated Press sources. Two individuals familiar with the visit confirmed the meeting, with one stating that Netanyahu asked bin Zayed to deny a Haaretz report published earlier this month. That report claimed the UAE president had warned Netanyahu in late September 2023 about a major Hamas attack. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of the visit.

Channel 12 had initially reported Netanyahu's secret trip on a private jet. His office has not commented on the visit or its discussions. The New York Times also reported on the alleged UAE warning, citing intelligence received by bin Zayed in late September about a planned Hamas attack, though the nature of the operation, whether rocket fire or a ground offensive, was unclear. Five former senior Israeli officials told the Times they were unaware of such a warning, and a review of a security meeting from October 1, 2023, reportedly made no mention of it.

Bin Zayed allegedly discussed the warning with then-CIA Director William Burns, stating he had alerted Netanyahu to a potential Hamas escalation. Netanyahu's office has vehemently denied the original Haaretz report, stating no conversation occurred between the two leaders during the relevant period and no such warning was received. An Emirati official also denied direct intelligence sharing between the leaders, noting that security information is exchanged through professional channels. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the visit but affirmed open communication and intelligence sharing with Israel.

This controversy follows another denial from Netanyahu's office regarding a Wall Street Journal report that Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel had warned Netanyahu of an imminent attack from Gaza in early October 2023. Netanyahu's office called the report recycled misinformation, stating he had not met or spoken with Kamel in the months before October 7.