One day after US President Donald Trump announced the normalization of relations between the UAE and Israel, some of the mysteries prior to this announcement began to unfold, amid expectations of an acceleration in the next steps of this agreement.

Israel Al-Youm newspaper, which is close to the Israeli Prime Minister, said that Benjamin Netanyahu had visited the UAE secretly at least twice, and held talks with Emirati officials that lasted for several hours, as part of contacts to formulate an agreement to normalize relations.

On these two unannounced visits, Netanyahu was accompanied by the head of the National Security Council, Meir Bin Shabat, according to the newspaper.

The newspaper stated that the announcement of the normalization of relations was preceded by several steps to build trust.

Yesterday, Netanyahu thanked Mossad chief Yossi Cohen for his important role in achieving what he called a historic achievement.

Next steps for
its part, the Israeli Channel 12 reported that a high-ranking Israeli delegation will travel next week to the UAE within the framework of an agreement to normalize relations with it.

It quoted an unnamed senior Israeli official that the delegation will meet senior officials of the UAE government to prepare for the signing of the agreement to normalize relations, expected within several weeks.

For its part, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the head of the Mossad, Yossi Cohen. He will soon travel to the UAE to discuss the details of the peace agreement between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv.

The newspaper added that the delegation headed by Cohen will discuss the details of the normalization agreement, especially the security part, without further details.

The next country
In the meantime, an Israeli source told the official Channel Eleven that Bahrain would be the next country to announce the normalization of its relations with Israel, noting that the talks between Manama and Tel Aviv had reached advanced stages.

Bahrain had welcomed the normalization agreement between the UAE and Israel, describing it as historic. The Bahrain News Agency said that the Kingdom commends the sincere diplomatic efforts made by the UAE.

She also described the step as historic, and said that it would contribute to strengthening stability and peace in the region, praising at the same time the efforts made by the United States to reach this agreement.

The Omani News Agency said in a tweet on Twitter that the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Sultanate’s support for the UAE’s decision on relations with Israel within the framework of the historic joint declaration between it and the United States and Israel.

He also expressed his hope that the decision will contribute to achieving comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, in a way that serves the aspirations of the peoples of the region in sustaining the pillars of security and stability and advancing the causes of progress and prosperity for all.

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced that the UAE and Israel had reached an agreement to normalize relations, describing it as historic.

Following Trump's announcement of the agreement, Netanyahu confirmed that his government adheres to the annexation plan, although a joint statement issued by the United States, Israel and the UAE indicated that Tel Aviv would stop the plan to annex Palestinian lands.

The announcement of the normalization agreement between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi comes as the culmination of a long series of cooperation, coordination, communication and exchange of visits between the two countries.

The agreement was met with widespread Palestinian condemnation from the leadership and prominent factions, such as Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, while the Palestinian leadership considered it a betrayal by the Emirates of Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa and the Palestinian cause.