The Prime Minister's Office officially confirmed on Wednesday that during Operation Roaring Lion against Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates and met with President Mohammed bin Zayed.
"This visit led to a historic breakthrough in the relations between Israel and the UAE," the office stated.
This is the first publicized meeting between Netanyahu and bin Zayed. Netanyahu met with bin Zayed several times in the past and even visited the United Arab Emirates, but it was not made public, certainly not by his office.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Mossad chief David Barnea secretly visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at least twice during the war with Iran.
According to the report, the visits were conducted in March and April.
Arab officials and a person familiar with the matter told WSJ that the goal of the visits was coordination about the war.
Meanwhile, Kan News reported that Shin Bet chief David Zini made an unprecedented visit to the UAE in recent weeks. The visit took place against the backdrop of the ceasefire and ongoing tensions with Iran, and is seen as a sign of the strengthening security partnership between the countries.
According to the reports, security coordination between Israel and the Gulf state remained close throughout the fighting.