Shin Bet Director David Zini recently met with former senior Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan in the United Arab Emirates, as reported by Israel’s public broadcaster Kan on Tuesday.
Inside meeting: According to Haaretz, the discussion centered on postwar arrangements and the future governance of Gaza’s Strip. The Shin Bet declined to comment, stating, “We do not comment on the head of the service’s schedule.” An Israeli political source corroborated the meeting to Al-Monitor.
When contacted by Al-Monitor, the Emirati Foreign Ministry declined to confirm whether Zini had visited the country or met with Dahlan there.
Haaretz reported that Dahlan’s potential role in Gaza’s future administration was discussed. An unnamed official noted that, despite lacking a formal position in Palestinian institutions, Dahlan retains influence within the enclave. The official added that several members of the Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza — a transitional technocratic body established last January under President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan and tasked with administering the territory — are aligned with or associated with Dahlan.
Back-channel visits: In early May, Haaretz reported that Zini and Mossad chief David Barnea traveled to the UAE and met with senior Emirati officials. On May 13, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed his visit to the Emirates and a meeting with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. Abu Dhabi subsequently denied the meeting occurred.
Dahlan, a former Fatah leader in Gaza and former head of the Palestinian Preventive Security Service, was expelled by Hamas after it seized control in 2007. He later broke with PLO leader Yasser Arafat and remains a rival of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. After relocating to Abu Dhabi, he has lived in exile and serves as an adviser to Sheikh Mohammed. The Wall Street Journal reported in July 2024 that American, Israeli and Arab officials identified Dahlan as a leading candidate for postwar governance arrangements in Gaza.