Fighters loyal to the Houthis shout slogans during a rally to recruit more fighters, in Sanaa on Sept. 10, 2026. (Credit: Mohammed Huwais/AFP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with representatives of Gulf and Arab countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, including Saudi Arabia, during his visit to the UAE over the weekend, sources familiar with the meeting told Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Monday. Representatives from Morocco, Libya, Jordan and Qatar also attended, according to the sources.
None of these countries has officially confirmed its participation.
Netanyahu made a secret trip to Abu Dhabi on Sunday to meet with its leader, Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, known as MBZ. According to Israeli media, the visit marked the first time the Emirati side officially confirmed a Netanyahu visit.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the meeting was "arranged by Mossad chief Roman Goffman following a Saudi request for Israeli assistance against Houthi attacks in the Red Sea region." The talks focused on Iran and the Houthis. The newspaper added that the Arab countries heard from the Israeli side about "Israel's willingness to assist countries in the region with air defense systems — just as it helped the UAE during the war with Iran."
Fighting in Yemen intensified in September as the Houthis launched a lightning offensive that saw them seize Yemen's entire Red Sea coast, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital shipping lane. The Houthis have also imposed a blockade on Saudi energy exports and struck the kingdom several times.
Saudi Arabia had reportedly sought military assistance from the United States to fight the Houthis. Washington declined to strike the Houthis directly but said it would provide intelligence and targeting support, Reuters reported earlier this month.
Netanyahu pressured MBZ?
Reporting on the same visit, Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post reported that Netanyahu spent six hours in the UAE on Sunday, with Iran as the main topic of his discussions with MBZ. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the newspaper added that the visit took place after "Netanyahu applied heavy pressure on the Emiratis to arrange a meeting before the Oct. 27 Israeli elections."
Meanwhile, citing a person with firsthand knowledge of the meeting, the Associated Press reported that Netanyahu's visit to the UAE aimed in part to ask MBZ to deny reports that he had warned the Israeli prime minister about a looming Hamas threat ahead of the Palestinian militant group's Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.
According to Israeli media, Netanyahu's office denied the AP report, saying: "Fake news. The visit focused solely on strengthening relations between the two countries and on regional challenges."
Israeli newspaper Haaretz had previously reported that MBZ personally warned Netanyahu about 10 days before Oct. 7 that Hamas was preparing a major operation.
The latest investigation adds to the debate over what information Israeli leaders had before the attack, which killed more than 1,200 people in Israel. Israel's ensuing war on Gaza has killed more than 74,000 people. On Sept. 25, U.S. outlet The Atlantic reported that Israel had received a second alert from Egyptian intelligence warning of an imminent Hamas attack ahead of Oct. 7, 2023.
