Israel security agency files complaint over report Netanyahu visited UAE

Israel's domestic intelligence agency, the Shin Bet, lodged a formal complaint against a television station alleging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had traveled to the United Arab Emirates, according to a statement from the prime minister's office. Despite this, neither Israel nor the UAE has yet confirmed Netanyahu's alleged visit.

The complaint was filed with the Chief Military Censor, demanding the television network be prosecuted for severe censorship violations, according to the statement. The visit came shortly after a shocking report by Israeli media outlets that the Emirati president had warned Netanyahu ahead of Hamas's attack on Israel in October 2023.

The Israeli premier reportedly denied this story. Netanyahu's office emphasized that the trip endangered the lives of the prime minister, his wife, and a delegation that included the head of the Mossad spy agency and other top security officials. The statement noted that the premier's plane was still outside Israeli airspace when the visit was made public.

Israel and the UAE established diplomatic relations in 2020 as part of the US-negotiated Abraham Accords.