Italian report: Netanyahu met Saddam Haftar, son of eastern Libya strongman, in UAE
An Italian newspaper report claims that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Saddam Haftar, the son of a powerful Libyan military leader, during a visit to the UAE. The meeting has not been independently verified and follows previous reports of clandestine contacts between the two parties.
Why it matters
If confirmed, the meeting suggests ongoing back-channel diplomatic efforts between Israel and factions in Libya, a country with which Israel has no formal diplomatic relations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Saddam Haftar, the son of eastern Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar, during his visit to the United Arab Emirates, Italian newspaper Il Foglio reported Tuesday. The alleged meeting has not been independently confirmed by another source. According to the Italian report, Saddam Haftar landed in the UAE around 20 minutes after Netanyahu. Previous reports have linked Haftar to contacts with senior Israeli officials. In 2021, it was reported that one of his aircraft landed at Ben Gurion Airport. Previous reported contacts with Israel This would not be the first reported contact between Saddam Haftar and Israel. Reports in 2021 said Haftar had met Israeli officials, though the contacts were never officially confirmed. Saddam is the son of Khalifa Haftar, the general who has controlled eastern Libya for more than a decade.
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