Key facts
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
- Netanyahu met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
- A senior Israeli official confirmed the meeting to Reuters.
- The UAE has stated it maintains open and direct lines of communication with Israel.
- The UAE previously denied a May report of a secret meeting between Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohamed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Abu Dhabi on Sunday and met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a senior Israeli official told Reuters. The meeting comes as Netanyahu faces scrutiny over security failures preceding the October 7 Hamas attack.
Haaretz newspaper previously reported that Sheikh Mohamed had warned Netanyahu about Hamas's planned operation against Israel, a report Netanyahu has denied. The UAE has declined to comment on the Haaretz report but stated that diplomatic relations established in 2020 have maintained "open and direct lines of communication." A UAE source previously indicated that security matters are discussed through "relevant entities" rather than at the leader level.
Earlier this year, the UAE denied a report from Netanyahu's office that he had "secretly visited" the Gulf country and met with the president. A source familiar with that meeting stated it occurred on March 26 in Al-Ain.