Haftar son 'held secret talks with Netanyahu' in UAE amid Libya ambitions

Saddam Haftar, the powerful son of eastern Libyan commander and warlord Khalifa Haftar, reportedly held a secret meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the United Arab Emirates, amid longstanding reports of covert contacts between the Haftar family and Israel.

Italian newspaper Il Foglio reported on Monday that Saddam Haftar, deputy commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), travelled to Abu Dhabi at around the same time as Netanyahu's previously unannounced visit to the UAE.

Flight-tracking data showed an Airbus A319 regularly used by Saddam Haftar arriving at Abu Dhabi's Al Bateen airport from Benghazi at 12:40 pm, around 20 minutes after Netanyahu landed at the same airport.

Mohamed Buisier, a former political adviser to Khalifa Haftar, claimed on X that the timing was no coincidence and that Saddam met Netanyahu in an attempt to secure political support for his presidential ambitions.

"Saddam saw Netanyahu to obtain political support for his candidacy for the Libyan presidency," Buisier said, according to Il Foglio.

The reported talks would mark the latest in a series of alleged covert contacts between the Haftar camp and Israel, despite Libya having no diplomatic relations with Israel and normalisation remaining deeply controversial in the North African country.

Haftar's previous contacts with Israel

Saddam Haftar was previously reported to have secretly travelled to Israel in November 2021, when a private jet carrying him reportedly made a brief stop at Ben Gurion Airport while travelling from Dubai to Libya.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported at the time that Haftar had held contacts with Israeli officials. The Times of Israel subsequently reported that he had carried a message from his father seeking Israeli "military and diplomatic assistance" in return for pursuing normalisation between Libya and Israel.

The proposed arrangement was reportedly modelled on the US-brokered Abraham Accords, under which the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco established diplomatic relations with Israel.

The identity of the Israeli officials Saddam allegedly met in 2021 was never disclosed, although Haaretz reported that he had previously been in contact with the Mossad's "Tevel" division, which handles relations with countries that do not maintain formal ties with Israel.

Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom also reported in 2021 that the Haftar family had reached an agreement with an Israeli lobbying and communications company, with the UAE reportedly acting as an intermediary.

None of the alleged contacts resulted in formal diplomatic relations between Libya and Israel.

Netanyahu's "secret trip" to UAE

The latest report comes after Netanyahu made an unannounced trip to the UAE on Sunday for talks with Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The visit was initially kept from the public and only acknowledged after Israeli media disclosed Netanyahu's presence in the country.

Netanyahu's office later said the talks focused on strengthening bilateral relations and regional issues.

The Israeli leader travelled with a high-level delegation that included Mossad chief David Barnea, National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi, his military secretary and diplomatic adviser.

Israeli reports have separately linked the visit to controversy surrounding an alleged Emirati warning to Netanyahu before the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attack.

Haaretz previously reported that bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu shortly before the attack that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a major operation. Netanyahu's office has denied receiving such a warning, while the UAE has said intelligence matters of this nature are handled through the relevant security agencies rather than directly between national leaders.

The UAE visit was also preceded by weeks of reported Israeli pressure to secure a meeting between Netanyahu and bin Zayed.

Libya's normalisation controversy

Any confirmed meeting between Netanyahu and Saddam Haftar would be particularly sensitive in Libya, where previous revelations of contacts with Israel triggered a major political crisis.

In 2023, Israel's then-foreign minister Eli Cohen publicly revealed that he had secretly met his Libyan counterpart Najla Mangoush in Rome.

The disclosure sparked protests across Libya and prompted the Tripoli-based government to suspend Mangoush before she was dismissed.

The episode also highlighted the political risks surrounding any attempt to establish formal relations with Israel.

Libya has remained divided between rival administrations since years of conflict following the 2011 overthrow and killing of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The internationally recognised authorities in Tripoli control much of western Libya, while Khalifa Haftar and his forces dominate the east and parts of the south.

The rival camps have been supported by competing foreign powers, with Turkey backing authorities in Tripoli while Egypt, the UAE and Russia have maintained close relations with Haftar.

Israel has never formally established diplomatic relations with Libya, although repeated reports over recent years have pointed to covert contacts with figures in the country's rival political camps.

Saddam Haftar has meanwhile sought to build his international profile and strengthen ties with Washington.

Il Foglio reported that he was seeking a meeting with US Vice President JD Vance after meeting Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the United States in June.

The Italian newspaper suggested that the reported Netanyahu meeting forms part of a wider effort by Haftar to secure international political backing and present himself as a potential future leader of Libya.