Israeli officials and the UAE state news agency WAM confirmed Netanyahu's visit to Abu Dhabi and his meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. A separate report by Il Foglio that he met Saddam Haftar remains unverified.
Netanyahu travelled to Abu Dhabi on Sunday with his wife, Sara, and a delegation that included the head of the National Security Council, the Mossad chief, his military secretary and his diplomatic adviser. Israeli officials and the UAE state news agency WAM confirmed his meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. That part is confirmed.
Il Foglio reported that Saddam Haftar landed in the UAE around 20 minutes after Netanyahu. Saddam Haftar is the son of Khalifa Haftar, a military figure in eastern Libya. The reported timing does not establish that the two men met. Reuters' accounts of the UAE visit and WAM's report on the bilateral meeting do not mention contact with Haftar's son. That is not proof.
The claim could carry diplomatic weight because Libya remains politically divided. Khalifa Haftar's camp holds sway in the east. The internationally recognised administration is based in Tripoli. A confirmed meeting with a representative of the eastern camp could mean more than a private encounter.
Foreign powers have also shaped Libya's rival alignments. Turkey and Qatar support the authorities in Tripoli, while Egypt, the UAE, Russia and France maintain ties with Haftar's eastern camp. A verified Israeli channel to that camp could matter. But the available reporting does not show that a meeting took place.
Reports in 2021 said Saddam Haftar had contacts with Israeli officials. Those claims were not officially confirmed, Reuters noted at the time. Another report that year said an aircraft belonging to Khalifa Haftar had landed at Ben Gurion Airport. That report alone did not establish an official relationship.
Israel's engagement with Libya has caused political repercussions before. In 2023, then-Foreign Minister Eli Cohen disclosed a meeting with Libya's foreign minister, who was associated with the western camp opposed to Haftar. The Libyan minister was later dismissed amid the uproar. The episode showed how sensitive foreign contacts can be across Libya's political divide.
Netanyahu's office said the UAE visit was at the invitation of the UAE president. It said the talks focused on strengthening relations between the two countries and on regional challenges. Reuters reported that an Israeli official confirmed the visit. Reuters' account cited UAE state reporting that the leaders discussed bilateral relations. Netanyahu's office rejected claims that the trip had a different purpose and called them fake news. Neither Reuters nor WAM has reported confirmation of a meeting with Saddam Haftar.
Libya's political division remains a regional concern. Libya's unity efforts are part of that wider picture. The confirmed Israeli-Emirati meeting is separate from the unverified Haftar claim. By itself, it does not establish a change in Israeli policy toward either Libyan camp.
For now, the reported encounter remains an unverified claim, not a diplomatic fact. Independent confirmation could raise the question of whether Israel has an official channel to Haftar's eastern camp. Until then, the reported timing of the arrivals is not proof of a meeting.
