UAE FM Urges Ceasefire in Gaza During Talks with Israeli Counterpart
Riyadh – The United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, met with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, in Abu Dhabi on Sunday to address the escalating Gaza conflict, emphasizing the urgent need for a ceasefire and an end to the worsening humanitarian crisis in the region, according to a UAE foreign ministry statement.
Sheikh Abdullah, who also serves as the UAE’s deputy prime minister, underscored the importance of halting hostilities, securing the release of hostages, and preventing further escalation in the Middle East. The meeting, attended by UAE Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs Saeed Mubarak Al Hajeri and UAE Ambassador to Israel Mohamed Mahmoud Al Khaja, marked a rare diplomatic engagement between the two nations since the Gaza war began in October 2023.
The UAE and Israel normalized relations in 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords, but bilateral interactions have been limited amid the ongoing conflict sparked by Hamas-led attacks on Israel. Saar noted on X that this was his second meeting with Sheikh Abdullah, signaling a cautious resumption of dialogue.
During the talks, Sheikh Abdullah called for a “serious political horizon” to restart negotiations for a two-state solution, reaffirming the UAE’s longstanding support for the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination. He also stressed the need to curb extremism, tensions, and violence across the region, the ministry statement said.
The meeting coincided with Israel’s intensified military operations in Gaza, which resumed last month after the collapse of a US-mediated truce. The Hamas-run health ministry reports that over 1,330 Palestinians have been killed since the offensive restarted, bringing the total death toll since October 2023 to 50,695 — numbers cannot be independently verified. The war erupted when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 hostages, of whom 59 remain in Gaza—24 believed to be alive.
Sheikh Abdullah’s push for peace reflects growing regional concern over Gaza’s humanitarian toll, with the UAE positioning itself as a mediator advocating for stability and Palestinian rights amid a conflict showing no signs of abating.
