The head of the Shin Bet, David Zini, recently met in the United Arab Emirates with former Fatah official Muhammad Dahlan, according to a report published by journalists Gili Cohen and Roy Sharon. The secret meeting took place against the backdrop of discussions about the identity of the entity that would rule the Gaza Strip the day after the war, with Dahlan considered one of the main candidates for the position.
Dahlan, who previously served as head of Preventive Security in the Gaza Strip, has been living in exile in Abu Dhabi for years and serves as a close advisor to the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that American, Israeli and Arab officials had identified Dahlan as the preferred candidate to lead the Strip. In response, Dahlan claimed that he refused to accept an executive role and called for a plan that would lead to the establishment of a ‘Palestinian’ state.
This meeting joins a series of secret meetings and visits by senior security officials and the political echelon in the UAE. It was previously reported that Mossad head David Barnea visited the country at least twice during the war for security coordination. The Prime Minister’s Office also confirmed a secret visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the country, which led to a breakthrough in relations, although the UAE denied its existence.
This denial by the UAE was sweeping. The Foreign Ministry in Abu Dhabi clarified that relations with Israel are conducted solely under the public umbrella of the Abraham Accords, and rejected any claim of secret security coordination or hosting military delegations on its territory. This is in stark contrast to the Prime Minister’s Office’s announcement of a secret visit by Netanyahu to the country in March 2026, in the midst of Operation Roaring Lion.