Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against annexing parts of the occupied West Bank in a meeting in New York on Friday, an Emirati official told The National.
During the meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, he conveyed the UAE’s "grave concern over recent developments, including actions that threaten the prospects for a two-state solution", the official added. Sheikh Abdullah also reaffirmed the Emirates' commitment to the Abraham Accords as a "cornerstone of a better future for the region".
Sheikh Abdullah also underlined the “urgent need to scale up humanitarian aid to Gaza, ensuring that vital assistance reaches civilians quickly and effectively”, the official said.
In addition, Sheikh Abdullah cautioned Mr Netanyahu against "dangerous steps, such as the blatant attack on Qatar and annexation, that could put at risk this historic achievement”, the official added, referring to the accords.
Israel signed the Abraham Accords, brokered under US President Donald Trump in his first term, with the UAE and Bahrain in 2020. Sudan and Morocco later signed the accords as well.
The accords were hailed as a breakthrough in establishing Arab-Israeli relations, aimed at paving the way for further agreements with other regional countries.
While ties between Israel and the UAE have deepened in sectors such as trade and technology, the Gaza war and regional tension have strained the political foundations of the partnership.
Sheikh Abdullah also briefed Mr Netanyahu on what he called Mr Trump’s “courageous plan for peace”, which is aimed at ending the Gaza war, securing the release of hostages and advancing broader regional integration, the official said.
Mr Trump is set to meet the Israeli Prime Minister on Monday in Washington.
In his address to the UN General Assembly earlier on Friday, Mr Netanyahu denied that there was a genocide occurring in Gaza and promised to "finish the job" of uprooting Hamas from the coastal enclave.
