Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret visit to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to meet with Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Israeli media reported.
Netanyahu traveled on a private aircraft owned by an unnamed Israeli businessman, departing Ben Gurion Airport and landing in Abu Dhabi at 3:10 PM local time.
He spent approximately four hours in the UAE capital before departing at 7:10 PM and returning to Israel shortly after 10:00 PM.
The Prime Minister's Office did not publicly announce the visit, which coincides with mounting controversy following reports that Netanyahu received advance intelligence warnings from the UAE President prior to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.
According to Israeli broadcaster KAN, the same private aircraft was previously utilized by Netanyahu for a visit to Abu Dhabi during the conflict with Iran.
An official Emirati source cited by Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National stated that the UAE government addresses security matters through relevant operational agencies rather than direct engagements at the head-of-state level.
-SA