Report: Netanyahu Met Libyan Military Leader During UAE Visit

Italian newspaper "Il Foglio" reported today (Tuesday) that Saddam Haftar, the son of Gen. Khalifa Haftar and deputy commander-in-chief of forces in eastern Libya, arrived in Abu Dhabi during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United Arab Emirates and met with him secretly. At this stage, neither side has officially confirmed that such a meeting took place.

The report is based, among other things, on aircraft movements at Al Bateen Airport. An Airbus A319 that took off from Benghazi and is used by Haftar landed at 12:40 p.m., about 20 minutes after Netanyahu’s plane landed. Mohammed Buasir, who previously served as a political adviser to Khalifa Haftar, wrote on X: "Saddam met with Netanyahu to secure political support for his bid for the Libyan presidency."

Other military and government planes, including some linked to Morocco, landed in Abu Dhabi during the same hours. Unlike the report concerning Haftar, Netanyahu’s meeting with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed was officially confirmed. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the two discussed relations between their countries and regional challenges, while Reuters reported that the talks lasted about six hours and focused primarily on the Iranian threat.

Haftar, the eldest son of the commander of the "Libyan National Army," which effectively controls eastern Libya and key oil facilities, has been working in recent months to expand his international connections. According to the Italian analysis, these moves are intended to strengthen his standing ahead of a future battle for Libya’s presidency.

The ties attributed to the Haftar family with Israel are not new. In 2021, the newspaper "Haaretz" reported that a plane linked to Saddam Haftar landed at Ben-Gurion Airport for diplomatic contacts, while "Israel Hayom" reported that the family hired an Israeli consulting and communications company through Emirati mediation.

According to "Il Foglio," Haftar is also working to deepen his ties in Washington. After meeting in June with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he is expected to meet with Vice President J.D.

Vance. It was also claimed that, through his associate Rifaat al-Abar, he is trying to get closer to U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, as part of his efforts to secure American backing in struggles for control of the Waha oil and gas company. In March, he also hired the lobbying firm Ballard Partners.