Netanyahu Secretly Met UAE President to Deny Hamas Attack Warning Report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday to meet with President Mohammed bin Zayed. According to an AP source, Netanyahu asked bin Zayed to deny a report claiming the UAE president had warned him about an impending Hamas attack. The report, published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, alleged that bin Zayed called Netanyahu in September 2023, 45 minutes before the October 7th Hamas assault, to warn him that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation against Israel. The report further claimed that bin Zayed expressed concern that the attack would not only cause bloodshed but also undermine the Abraham Accords, the normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab nations. According to the Haaretz report, Netanyahu did not inform Israeli intelligence chiefs about this alleged warning. Netanyahu's office previously denied the Haaretz report and stated it was preparing to sue the newspaper. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment but emphasized that the UAE maintains "open and direct channels of communication" with Israel and shares "all relevant intelligence information," AP reported. However, Israeli Channel 12 noted that UAE officials have not officially denied the conversation, with some even confirming it. Netanyahu's visit, reportedly lasting about an hour with much of it in private, was conducted on a private jet typically used for sensitive Israeli government travel. This is not the first time Netanyahu has made a discreet trip to the UAE that has later become public; a previous unannounced visit in May during the "Operation Iron Swords" war reportedly caused tension with Abu Dhabi due to the premature disclosure by Netanyahu's office.