Netanyahu Secretly Visited UAE, Asked Sheikh Mohamed to Deny Pre-Oct. 7 Warning Report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pictured during a Hudson Institute event, amid reports of his recent meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi. Photo credit: Hudson Institute/ Wikimedia commons.

 Abu Dhabi/Jerusalem, September 29, 2026: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an unannounced visit to the United Arab Emirates over the weekend and met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to reports and subsequent official confirmation of the visit.

The meeting has drawn attention because it reportedly came after claims that the Emirati president had warned Netanyahu before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that a major assault was being planned. According to a person with firsthand knowledge who spoke to the Associated Press, Netanyahu asked Sheikh Mohamed to deny that report.

The claim remains disputed. Netanyahu’s office has previously rejected the allegation that he received such a warning from the UAE before October 7. The UAE has also not publicly confirmed the details of the alleged warning or the reported request made during Sunday’s meeting. 

Secret weekend visit to Abu Dhabi

Netanyahu travelled to Abu Dhabi on Sunday, September 27, for a meeting with Sheikh Mohamed. The trip was initially reported by Israeli Channel 12 before the UAE publicly confirmed that the Israeli prime minister had visited the country.

Two people briefed on the trip told AP that Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohamed held a meeting during the visit. One source said the discussion focused on a report published by Haaretz earlier this month concerning an alleged warning from the Emirati leader before the October 7 attack. 

According to the AP source, Netanyahu asked Sheikh Mohamed to deny the report. The source and another regional official spoke anonymously because of the sensitive nature of the meeting. 

What is the pre-Oct. 7 warning claim?

The controversy stems from a report published by Haaretz earlier in September. It alleged that Sheikh Mohamed had contacted Netanyahu before the October 7, 2023 attack and warned him that Hamas was preparing a major operation.

The allegation has been strongly disputed by Netanyahu’s office. On September 9, the prime minister’s office said that no warning had been given to Netanyahu by the UAE before October 7.

The UAE Foreign Ministry has not publicly confirmed the specific conversation described in the report. Instead, it has said that Abu Dhabi maintains direct communication with Israel and that relevant intelligence is shared through appropriate channels.

Because the accounts rely partly on unnamed sources, the precise details of what was communicated before October 7 and what was discussed during Sunday’s meeting remain contested.

UAE confirms Netanyahu’s visit

The UAE’s state news agency WAM later confirmed Netanyahu’s visit, marking the first official Emirati confirmation of the weekend trip.

According to WAM, Sheikh Mohamed and Netanyahu discussed bilateral relations between the UAE and Israel and ways to strengthen and develop those ties. The UAE also said regional challenges were discussed.

Netanyahu’s office similarly said the visit took place at Sheikh Mohamed’s invitation and focused on strengthening relations and addressing regional challenges. Reuters reported that Israeli officials said the meeting lasted several hours and included discussions focused on Iran. 

This differs somewhat from the account provided by the anonymous AP source, who said the meeting also focused on the disputed pre-October 7 warning report.

October 7 remains a major political issue in Israel

The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and the events leading up to it remain subjects of intense political and public debate in Israel.

The attack resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people in Israel, according to Israeli authorities, while around 250 people were taken hostage. It triggered the subsequent war in Gaza and a prolonged examination of Israel’s intelligence and security failures.

The question of whether Israeli authorities received warnings before the attack has been repeatedly discussed in Israeli media and political circles.

The latest allegations involving the UAE add another element to that debate. However, the claim that Sheikh Mohamed personally warned Netanyahu before October 7 has not been independently established by the publicly available evidence cited in the latest reports. Netanyahu’s office has explicitly denied receiving such a warning.

UAE-Israel relations

The meeting also comes against the backdrop of the UAE and Israel’s diplomatic relationship, established through the Abraham Accords in 2020.

The two countries have maintained diplomatic and economic ties despite disagreements over regional issues, including the Gaza war. Reuters reported that Sunday’s meeting also covered broader regional challenges, particularly Iran.

The UAE has continued to maintain communication channels with Israel while also publicly expressing positions on the humanitarian and political situation in the region.

For now, the exact details of Netanyahu’s conversation with Sheikh Mohamed remain unclear. The UAE has confirmed that the leaders met and discussed bilateral and regional matters, while the specific allegation that Netanyahu asked the Emirati president to deny the pre-October 7 warning is based on anonymous sources and remains disputed by Netanyahu’s office.