Overview
- Leaked internal emails obtained by the Handala hacking group and verified by Haaretz and Drop Site News show UAE officials pressed Elbit Systems for sales and support of Israeli drone systems.
- The correspondence names specific platforms and support including Hermes 900 and Hermes 650 drones, SkyEye wide‑area surveillance sensors, SkyStriker loitering munitions, ground control, training, and logistics.
- The emails present the proposed package as urgent following a Houthi missile and drone attack on Abu Dhabi in 2022 and record an initial sale value of about $154 million with upgrades that could raise it to roughly $225 million.
- The leaks do not confirm whether the systems were delivered, and their publication has prompted scrutiny over sensitive transfers and wider operational, legal, and diplomatic implications for Israel–UAE security cooperation.
- The reporting situates the talks inside post‑normalization defence cooperation formed under the Abraham Accords and notes a joint UAE‑Israel defence acquisition effort that could speed future arms purchases and regional surveillance capacity.