UAE FM urges end to Gaza war in meeting with Netanyahu in New York

UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed stressed the urgent need for ending the Gaza war during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, UAE state news agency WAM reported on Saturday.

Sheikh Abdullah stressed “the urgent need to bring an end to the bloody conflict in Gaza, reach a permanent and sustainable ceasefire, prevent further loss of life, and put an end to the crisis and the tragic conditions faced by civilians in the Gaza Strip.” 

He also noted that the dire humanitarian situation of civilians in Gaza requires the mobilization of all possible efforts to ensure the unimpeded and sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid.

Sheikh Abdullah reiterated the UAE’s “unwavering commitment to supporting all initiatives aimed at achieving a comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, in a way that fulfills the aspirations of both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples,” WAM said.

The UAE top diplomat also reaffirmed his country’s support for “international efforts aimed at securing the release of all hostages and detainees, while emphasizing the importance of concerted global action to confront extremism and terrorism in all its forms.”

The meeting was attended by UAE Minister of State Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, and UAE Ambassador to Israel Mohamed Mahmoud Al Khaja. 

It was Netanyahu’s first meeting with a senior Arab official since Israel’s Sept. 9 attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar, which the UAE condemned and protested by summoning Israel’s deputy ambassador. 

Reuters