Netanyahu Secretly Visits UAE, Asks President Sheikh Mohamed To Deny Warning Over Hamas Attack: Report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly travelled to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday and met President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with the reported talks centred on claims that the Emirati leader had warned him about a planned Hamas attack before October 7, 2023.

According to people briefed on the meeting, Netanyahu held an hourlong meeting with Sheikh Mohamed in Abu Dhabi and asked him to deny a recent Haaretz report alleging that the UAE president had warned him about an impending Hamas operation roughly a week and a half before the October 7 attack.

The visit was not publicly announced by Netanyahu’s office. A senior Israeli official confirmed to Reuters that Netanyahu had travelled to Abu Dhabi and met Sheikh Mohamed on Sunday, September 27. Neither Netanyahu’s office nor the UAE Foreign Ministry initially commented on the meeting.

The Haaretz report, published earlier this month, claimed Sheikh Mohamed had received information about Hamas preparations through a Palestinian intermediary and subsequently warned Netanyahu. The report said the warning was not passed to Israel’s military or intelligence agencies.

Netanyahu’s office has rejected the allegation as an “absolute lie” and Netanyahu has threatened legal action against Haaretz. The claims have nevertheless intensified political pressure on the prime minister ahead of Israel’s election, with opposition figures pointing to them as part of questions surrounding warnings before the October 7 assault.

The UAE has avoided confirming or denying the alleged conversation. In a September 8 statement, its Foreign Ministry said it does not comment on media reports or speculation concerning conversations between government leaders. It added that UAE and Israeli government entities maintain open and direct lines of communication and that relevant intelligence is communicated between the appropriate entities when necessary.

Fresh comments by former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant have added another dimension to the controversy. Gallant said Israel received a message from Hamas through a Shin Bet channel before October 7 in which then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar indicated he would “shake the prisons”.

Gallant said Israeli security officials interpreted that message as relating to efforts involving an Israeli hostage rather than preparations for a large-scale assault. He also said he had not been aware, while serving as defence minister, of the reported warnings from the UAE or Egypt.