Il Foglio reported that Saddam Haftar met Benjamin Netanyahu in Abu Dhabi, but the meeting has not been independently verified. Netanyahu's UAE visit and meeting with President Mohamed bin Zayed were confirmed; no official account confirms a meeting with Haftar.
An Airbus A319 regularly used by Saddam Haftar arrived at Abu Dhabi's Al Bateen airport at 12:40 pm, about 20 minutes after Benjamin Netanyahu landed, Il Foglio reported. The newspaper cited flight-tracking data. That timing does not prove they met.
Il Foglio said Haftar, whom it described as deputy commander of the Libyan National Army, travelled to Abu Dhabi around the time of Netanyahu's previously undisclosed visit. The account points to an alleged attempt by Haftar to win foreign backing as he builds his political profile. The meeting remains unconfirmed.
Netanyahu's visit to Abu Dhabi and his meeting with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed have been reported as confirmed. The discussions were said to cover bilateral relations and regional challenges. Reuters' account did not confirm a separate meeting with Saddam Haftar. Israeli outlet i24NEWS said its information indicated that no such meeting took place. Ynetnews also described the report as unverified.
Mohamed Buisier, a former political adviser to Khalifa Haftar, wrote on X that the timing was no coincidence. Il Foglio reported that Buisier claimed Saddam met Netanyahu to seek political backing for a presidential candidacy. That is an attributed claim, not independently established evidence.
The alleged approach could carry a domestic political cost. Libya has no diplomatic relations with Israel, and normalisation remains deeply controversial. The backlash has been clear before.
In 2023, Israel's then-foreign minister Eli Cohen disclosed that he had secretly met Libya's foreign minister, Najla al-Mangoush, in Rome. The disclosure prompted protests. The Tripoli-based government suspended al-Mangoush and later dismissed her. Israel's Foreign Ministry confirmed the meeting.
Reports of contact between the Haftar family and Israel go back further. In 2021, Israeli media reported that Saddam Haftar had secretly travelled to Israel with a message from his father, Khalifa Haftar. The message explored possible normalisation in return for military and diplomatic support. The officials Saddam allegedly met were not identified. Other Israeli reports described an agreement between the Haftar family and an Israeli lobbying and communications company. They said the UAE acted as an intermediary. None of the reported contacts led to formal relations.
Libya remains divided between authorities based in Tripoli, who control much of the west, and Khalifa Haftar's forces, who dominate the east and parts of the south. The division is also at the heart of Türkiye's Libya diplomacy. Türkiye has called for international backing for a unified, Libyan-led process. The African Union has also backed a Libyan-led political settlement. Algeria's APS and Tunisia's TAP regularly report on regional diplomacy around Libya. The country's political divisions affect neighbouring states as well as international mediation.
The stakes reach beyond diplomacy. Libya's oil sector and export revenues are central to public finances. Control of state institutions and national resources remains a persistent part of the country's political contest. Any foreign support sought by rival Libyan actors sits within a broader fight over legitimacy, security and economic governance. It does not confirm a shift in energy or trade policy.
The UAE, Egypt and Russia have maintained close relations with Haftar. Turkey backs authorities in Tripoli. Il Foglio also reported that Saddam met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the United States in June and was seeking a meeting with Vice President JD Vance. The newspaper cast the alleged Netanyahu encounter as part of a wider effort to win international political backing. Those reported contacts do not prove a formal agreement.
For now, the Abu Dhabi meeting remains a media report, not proof of a diplomatic breakthrough. The distinction matters. Netanyahu's UAE visit and meeting with Mohamed bin Zayed have been reported, but no official source has verified an encounter with Saddam Haftar. The report raises the possibility that Libya's leadership contest could involve fresh efforts to trade political alignment for foreign support. The backlash over the 2023 Rome meeting shows the domestic risks.
