According to reports cited by CNN, the meeting came amid renewed controversy over claims that Sheikh Mohamed had warned Netanyahu about an imminent major Hamas operation before the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
A recent investigation by Haaretz reported that the UAE president had spoken with Netanyahu about 10 days before the attack and warned that then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation. Former Israeli security officials reportedly said they were not informed of such a warning. Netanyahu has strongly denied the allegation, calling it an “absolute lie” and threatening legal action against Haaretz.
Sources cited in the reports say Netanyahu sought to have Sheikh Mohamed publicly deny that such a warning was given. The UAE government has not directly confirmed or denied the reported conversation, saying it maintains open communication with Israel.
An Israeli source told CNN that Iran was also a major topic of the meeting, reflecting the increasingly close security relationship between Israel and the UAE amid regional tensions. The visit also comes one month before Israel’s October 27 general election.
The UAE and Israel established diplomatic relations in 2020 under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords, and their security cooperation has expanded amid conflicts involving Iran and the wider Middle East.
