Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Abu Dhabi and met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan on Sunday, a senior Israeli official told Reuters.
There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu’s office and the UAE’s foreign ministry. Israeli TV channels 12 and KAN, as well as newspapers Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post, also reported that Netanyahu undertook a one-day visit to the UAE to meet Mohamed.
The visit comes after Israeli newspaper Haaretz this month reported that Mohamed had warned Netanyahu a week and a half before October 7, 2023 that Hamas was planning a major operation against Israel. The warning was not passed to Israeli intelligence agencies or the military, Haaretz reported.
Netanyahu, who has denied the report and threatened legal action against the newspaper, is facing a tough reelection campaign. Opposition leaders have accused the prime minister of bearing responsibility for security failures that preceded Hamas’ October 7 attack.