Netanyahu asks UAE president to deny reports of advance warning of Hamas attack
Associated Press report... Demands denial of UAE warning before Hamas raid
Quick Look
It has been reported that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu recently secretly visited the UAE and asked President Muhammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan to deny media reports that the UAE had given advance warning before a surprise Hamas attack in 2023.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Israeli daily Haaretz reported that the UAE delivered a warning to Prime Minister Netanyahu just before Hamas' surprise attack on October 7, 2023.
The Associated Press reported on the 28th (local time) that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last weekend and asked to deny media reports that the UAE had given advance warning before Hamas' surprise attack on southern Israel in 2023.
An official familiar with the matter said that the meeting was centered around a report by the Israeli daily Haaretz earlier this month.
According to an official who is directly aware of the contents of the meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu asked UAE President Muhammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan to officially deny the report.
Haaretz reported that just before Hamas' surprise attack and massacre on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in the Gaza Strip, the UAE President directly warned Prime Minister Netanyahu of the imminent threat of attack. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office strongly denied the report at the time.
The UAE Foreign Ministry declined to comment on reports of the meeting.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated its position in principle that it maintains an open and direct communication channel with Israel and shares all relevant information.
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office had no immediate comment on the reports.
Open Questions
- Whether the UAE side actually delivered the warning
- UAE's final response to Prime Minister Netanyahu's request for denial
