Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, expressed on Friday his country's grave concern regarding the escalation in violence in Israel and Palestine and offered the Emirates' deep condolences for those lost in the latest fighting.
Sheikh Abdullah said the UAE joins other voices in calling for an immediate end to violence and hostilities, and called upon all parties to practise the utmost restraint and to take immediate steps to commit to a ceasefire and political dialogue.
He said the painful events of the last week are an important reminder to begin dialogue and reconciliation, capitalising on the Abraham Accords promises to current and future generations to allow neighbours to live in peace, dignity and prosperity.
He also emphasised that real leadership in times of crisis should include showing restraint and aiming to de-escalate tension.
Sheikh Abdullah said the UAE is fully committed to these goals.
Escalating violence in Israel and Palestine - latest pictures
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A demonstrator holding a Palestinian flag gestures during a protest over tension in Jerusalem and Israel-Gaza escalation, near Hawara checkpoint near Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, May 14, 2021. Reuters -
A fireball and smoke billow up into the air during an Israeli air strike on Gaza City targeting the Ansar compound, linked to the Hamas movement, in the Gaza Strip. AFP -
A nurse at Al Shifa Hospital holds a baby, who was pulled alive from under the rubble while seven other family members perished after an Israeli air strike struck Al Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza City. AFP -
This satellite photo released by Planet Labs shows the Gaza Strip. AP Photo -
A Palestinian girl sits on the floor next to her wounded grandmother at Al Shifa Hospital, after an Israeli air strike on Al Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza City. AFP -
People inspect the damage done to Beit Hanoun after a night of Israeli raids in Gaza City, Gaza. Getty Images -
A woman walks beside a broken asphalt, after an Israeli air strike on Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip. Getty Images -
A car drives through rubble, after an Israeli raid in northern Gaza City. Getty Images -
Palestinian girls who fled home due to Israeli air and artillery strikes, wait to fill bottles with water at a school hosting refugees in Gaza city. AFP -
Israeli police arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a protest in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in east Jerusalem. EPA -
Palestinian protesters hurl stones during clashes with Israeli forces in the Shuafat camp for Palestinian refugees, neighbouring the Israeli settlement of Ramat Shlomo, in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. AFP
