Netanyahu meets UAE's Sheikh Mohammed - meeting follows warnings of Hamas attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met the President of the United Arab Emirates last Sunday. Netanyahu's office confirmed the previously secret meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Sajid Al Nahjan. The Emirates also announced that Sheikh Mohammed had spoken to Netanyahu about the bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen and expand them.

The timing of the visit is explosive: It follows the publication of media reports that Egypt and the Emirati President personally warned Netanyahu of an impending Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. The Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported that Netanyahu did nothing despite Mohammed's warning during a 45-minute phone call. Netanyahu's office has denied the report and announced a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper. The US magazine The Atlantic reported on the warning from Egypt, citing government officials in Israel, Egypt and other Arab countries as well as representatives in the USA and Europe.

This article will continue to be updated.