Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs, is in Muscat for a Gulf Co-operation Council meeting. Wam
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs, is in Muscat for a Gulf Co-operation Council meeting. Wam
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs, is in Muscat for a Gulf Co-operation Council meeting. Wam
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs, is in Muscat for a Gulf Co-operation Council meeting. Wam

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed arrives in Muscat for talks amid escalating Israel-Gaza war


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Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has arrived in Muscat for a Gulf Co-operation Council meeting to discuss the continuing war between Israel and Hamas.

He was received by Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi, Oman's Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Jasem Al Budaiwi, GCC Secretary General, on Tuesday, state news agency Wam reported.

The GCC meeting was requested by Oman amid the escalating situation in Gaza.

Also attending the meeting from the Emirates were Khalifa Al Marar, Minister of State, Mohammed Al Daheri, UAE Ambassador to Oman, and Ahmed Ali Al Balushi, UAE ambassador to Jordan.

The leaders are aiming to consult and hold discussions on recent developments in the region.

The meeting comes a day after President Sheikh Mohamed held further talks with international leaders over the Israel-Gaza crisis to renew calls for civilian lives to be protected and for crucial humanitarian aid to be delivered.

The UAE leader underlined the need to end violence in the Gaza Strip, during calls with King Abdullah of Jordan, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, state news agency Wam reported early on Monday morning.

Sheikh Mohamed stressed the importance of safeguarding civilians from being dragged into an 'escalating cycle of violence.'

He called for the release of hostages and emphasised that humanitarian corridors be opened to allow for the safe transport of crucial aid to the Gaza Strip.

The death toll on both sides since the start of the conflict has crossed 4,000.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Sunday warned that the Middle East is "on the verge of the abyss".

The latest from the Israel-Gaza war – in pictures

  • Israel's Iron Dome air defence system fires a missile above Ashkelon to intercept a rocket fired from Gaza. AP
    Israel's Iron Dome air defence system fires a missile above Ashkelon to intercept a rocket fired from Gaza. AP
  • Tents provided by the UN – to house Palestinians displaced by the Israeli bombardment of Gaza – dot the landscape in Khan Younis. AP
    Tents provided by the UN – to house Palestinians displaced by the Israeli bombardment of Gaza – dot the landscape in Khan Younis. AP
  • Protesters call for the release of hostages held by Hamas during a demonstration in the Times Square district of New York. Bloomberg
    Protesters call for the release of hostages held by Hamas during a demonstration in the Times Square district of New York. Bloomberg
  • Protesters hold placards and Palestinian flags during a rally in support of Palestinians, in Lausanne, Switzerland. EPA
    Protesters hold placards and Palestinian flags during a rally in support of Palestinians, in Lausanne, Switzerland. EPA
  • Palestinian civil defence members search for survivors after an Israeli bombardment in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip. AFP
    Palestinian civil defence members search for survivors after an Israeli bombardment in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip. AFP
  • Israeli soldiers wait for a meeting with Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant in Sderot. Getty Images
    Israeli soldiers wait for a meeting with Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant in Sderot. Getty Images
  • Palestinians inspect the damage of a destroyed building following Israeli air strikes on Gaza city. AP
    Palestinians inspect the damage of a destroyed building following Israeli air strikes on Gaza city. AP
  • People shout slogans and wave flags during a protest in support of Palestinians, in the occupied West Bank. AFP
    People shout slogans and wave flags during a protest in support of Palestinians, in the occupied West Bank. AFP
  • Pupils stand to mourn Palestinian children killed in Gaza, in Cairo, Egypt. Reuters
    Pupils stand to mourn Palestinian children killed in Gaza, in Cairo, Egypt. Reuters
  • Palestinians, who fled their houses amid Israeli strikes, in a tent camp in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. Reuters
    Palestinians, who fled their houses amid Israeli strikes, in a tent camp in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. Reuters
  • Pictures of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas militants, outside the Israeli military base of The Kirya, Tel Aviv. EPA
    Pictures of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas militants, outside the Israeli military base of The Kirya, Tel Aviv. EPA
  • Buildings destroyed by Israeli air strikes on Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. AP
    Buildings destroyed by Israeli air strikes on Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. AP
  • A Palestinian girl rescues her cat from the rubble of destroyed buildings after Israeli air strikes in Rafah. AP
    A Palestinian girl rescues her cat from the rubble of destroyed buildings after Israeli air strikes in Rafah. AP
  • Palestinian emergency services search for victims in buildings destroyed during Israeli raids in Khan Younis. Getty Images
    Palestinian emergency services search for victims in buildings destroyed during Israeli raids in Khan Younis. Getty Images
  • An Israeli soldier inspects a house damaged by Hamas militants in Kibbutz Kfar Azza, Israel. AP
    An Israeli soldier inspects a house damaged by Hamas militants in Kibbutz Kfar Azza, Israel. AP
  • Palestinians carry a wounded man following Israeli strikes in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Reuters
    Palestinians carry a wounded man following Israeli strikes in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Reuters
  • A Palestinian boy cries following Israeli strikes on houses in Rafah. Reuters
    A Palestinian boy cries following Israeli strikes on houses in Rafah. Reuters
  • A Palestinian woman surveys the damage following Israeli strikes in Rafah. Reuters
    A Palestinian woman surveys the damage following Israeli strikes in Rafah. Reuters
  • A baby is fed amid the war, while those with dual citizenship await for permission to leave Gaza. Reuters
    A baby is fed amid the war, while those with dual citizenship await for permission to leave Gaza. Reuters
  • An Israeli soldier mans a checkpoint near the northern Kibbutz of Sasa, close to the border with Lebanon. AFP
    An Israeli soldier mans a checkpoint near the northern Kibbutz of Sasa, close to the border with Lebanon. AFP
  • An Israeli, wounded in cross-border shelling between Hezbollah and Israel, at the Ziv Medical Centre in Safed. AFP
    An Israeli, wounded in cross-border shelling between Hezbollah and Israel, at the Ziv Medical Centre in Safed. AFP
  • Mourners attend a funeral in Gan Yavne, Israel. AP
    Mourners attend a funeral in Gan Yavne, Israel. AP
  • Mourners gather around the five coffins of the Kotz family during their funeral in Gan Yavne. AP
    Mourners gather around the five coffins of the Kotz family during their funeral in Gan Yavne. AP
  • A Palestinian woman looks for victims in the rubble of a building following an Israeli strike in Khan Younis. AFP
    A Palestinian woman looks for victims in the rubble of a building following an Israeli strike in Khan Younis. AFP
  • A Palestinian with dual citizenship waits outside the Rafah crossing with Egypt. Reuters
    A Palestinian with dual citizenship waits outside the Rafah crossing with Egypt. Reuters
  • A woman holds a sign demanding the release of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas militants. Bloomberg
    A woman holds a sign demanding the release of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas militants. Bloomberg
  • Keren Shelf holds up a picture of her daughter, Israeli-French citizen Mia Shem, held hostage by Hamas. EPA
    Keren Shelf holds up a picture of her daughter, Israeli-French citizen Mia Shem, held hostage by Hamas. EPA
Updated: October 17, 2023, 3:21 PM