Netanyahu secretly visited UAE, met Emirati leader in Abu Dhabi: Israeli official

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, a senior Israeli official told news agency Reuters, as the two countries navigate a sensitive regional security environment.However, neither Netanyahu’s office nor the UAE foreign ministry immediately issued a public statement on the meeting.The visit comes amid renewed attention in Israel to claims that the UAE leader had warned Netanyahu shortly before Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack that the group was preparing a major operation.Dispute over reported warningIsraeli newspaper Haaretz reported earlier this month that Sheikh Mohammed had raised the warning with Netanyahu around a week and a half before the Hamas attack. The report said the information was not subsequently passed to Israeli intelligence agencies or the military.Netanyahu has rejected the report and threatened legal action against the newspaper.