The United Arab Emirates warned Israel on Wednesday that any annexation of the West Bank would be a red line for Abu Dhabi, threatening to undermine the Abraham Accords that normalised ties between the two states.
Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs and Envoy of the UAE Foreign Minister, said the accords were signed with the understanding they would support the Palestinians’ path to statehood.
“From the very beginning, we viewed the Accords as a way to enable our continued support for the Palestinian people and their legitimate aspiration for an independent state,” Nusseibeh told Reuters.
“That was our position in 2020, and it remains our position today.”
The remarks are the sharpest criticism from Abu Dhabi since Israel’s war in Gaza erupted in 2023. They follow an announcement by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that construction would begin on a settlement project cutting across the West Bank, a step his office described as one that would “bury” the idea of a Palestinian state.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Israel’s new settlement plan ‘undermines the two‑state solution while being a breach of international law’.
Foreign ministers from the EU, UK, Australia, Canada, and others condemned the plan, saying it violates international law and threatened regional stability.
Palestinian officials and rights groups have denounced the project as illegal under international law, arguing that it fragments territory and leaves no room for peace.
Nusseibeh urged Israel to halt the plans, saying “Extremists, of any kind, cannot be allowed to dictate the region’s trajectory. Peace requires courage, persistence, and a refusal to let violence define our choices.”
The Abraham Accords, brokered during Donald Trump’s first term as U.S. president, brought the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco into formal diplomatic relations with Israel.
Trump had sought to add Saudi Arabia to the framework, but the devastation in Gaza and the ongoing humanitarian crisis have shifted attention away from those ambitions.
Israel’s prime minister’s office has yet to respond to a request for comment on the UAE’s remarks.
World leaders have expressed condolences and solidarity after 15 people were killed in a mass shooting during Hanukkah celebrations at Sydney’s Bond...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 15th of December, covering the latest developments you need to...
The political pendulum in Santiago swung decisively to the conservative hardline on Sunday night, as voters delivered a commanding mandate to the Repu...
Thailand has stopped fuel shipments passing through its border with Laos over fears they were being diverted to Cambodia, as fierce fighting between t...
Two people were found dead at the Los Angeles home of actor-director-producer Rob Reiner, with law enforcement treating the deaths as an apparent homi...
At least 17 people, including students, were killed and 20 others injured after a school bus fell off a cliff in northern Colombia on Sunday, authorities said.
Hong Kong’s High Court on Monday found pro-democracy campaigner and media tycoon Jimmy Lai guilty of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and to publish seditious material under a China-imposed national security law, a ruling that could see the 78-year-old jailed for life.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 15th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Two people were found dead at the Los Angeles home of actor-director-producer Rob Reiner, with law enforcement treating the deaths as an apparent homicide, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said on Sunday (14 December).
The Oligarch’s Design is an investigative documentary exploring how financial power, political influence and carefully constructed narratives can shape conflict and public perception.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Ankara, at his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks took place on the sidelines of the international Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (12 December).
Russia’s human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, has said that Ukraine has not provided Moscow with a list of thousands of children it alleges were taken illegally to Russia, despite the issue being discussed during talks in Istanbul.
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman, detaining all 18 crew members on board.
An explosive device found in a vehicle linked to one of the alleged attackers in Bondi shooting has been secured and removed according to Police. The incident left 12 people dead.
World leaders have expressed condolences and solidarity after 15 people were killed in a mass shooting during Hanukkah celebrations at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 15th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The political pendulum in Santiago swung decisively to the conservative hardline on Sunday night, as voters delivered a commanding mandate to the Republican Party leader to restore public order and overhaul Chile's economy.
Thailand has stopped fuel shipments passing through its border with Laos over fears they were being diverted to Cambodia, as fierce fighting between the two neighbours shows no sign of easing.
Two people were found dead at the Los Angeles home of actor-director-producer Rob Reiner, with law enforcement treating the deaths as an apparent homicide, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said on Sunday (14 December).
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment