▲ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last weekend and asked the UAE to deny media reports that it had given Israel advance warning of Hamas's surprise attack on southern Israel in 2023, the Associated Press reported on the 28th (local time), citing sources.
A person familiar with the matter said the talks centered around a report published earlier this month by the Israeli daily Haaretz.
According to a source with direct knowledge of the meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu asked UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to officially deny the report.
Haaretz had previously reported that just before the October 7, 2023, surprise attack and massacre by Hamas—which triggered the war in Gaza—the UAE president had directly warned Prime Minister Netanyahu of an imminent attack threat.
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office strongly denied the report at the time.
The UAE Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the report regarding the meeting.
However, the UAE Foreign Ministry maintained its principled stance that it maintains open and direct communication channels with Israel and shares all relevant information.
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office did not immediately issue a statement regarding the latest report.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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