Netanyahu Sues Haaretz Over UAE Warning Report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday that he would file a lawsuit against the newspaper Haaretz. He also requested a criminal investigation regarding their report about warnings from the United Arab Emirates President.

The prime minister described the published report as a politically motivated and sinister libel against his office. He subsequently ordered his legal team to initiate proceedings against the publication and its journalist Shlomi Eldar over these specific claims.

Netanyahu later shared a statement from his Likud party on the social media platform X. The statement accused Haaretz, opposition leader Yair Golan, and other figures of engaging in foreign interference within Israel’s upcoming national elections.

The political statement alleged that former Palestinian official Muhammad Dahlan was behind the reported conversation. It claimed Dahlan seeks to topple the current right-wing government because he dreams of taking control of the Gaza Strip for himself.

To achieve this goal, Dahlan reportedly needs a weak left-wing government led by figures such as Eisenkot and Golan. Such an administration would allegedly withdraw from Gaza and hand it over to his personal control according to the claim.

In a separate development, Israeli forces prevented around thirty Palestinians from accessing their homes in Beit Iksa. This village is located northwest of Jerusalem and has faced strict movement restrictions for many years under military rule.

Residents stated that authorities refuse to issue the special permits required to enter the village. Entry depends on magnetic cards issued by Israeli officials, but some residents face denial due to what is termed a security ban by the state.