UAE dismisses Israel's 'day after' plan in Gaza

The United Arab Emirates said on Saturday it will not support Israel's "day after" plan in Gaza unless a Palestinian State is established, making its stance clear despite having signed the Abraham Accords in 2020 to normalize relations with Israel.

UAE Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan reiterated this position in a post on X.

In May, Abdullah also rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's suggestion the UAE could participate in the civil administration of the Gaza Strip, with security control under Israel.

Abdullah said Netanyahu "lacks legitimate authority to implement this step, or take any similar measures". The UAE "refuses to be involved in any plan aimed at providing cover for the Israeli presence in the Gaza Strip", he added.

The Abraham Accords are a series of agreements aimed at normalizing diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab countries.

"It is an assertion that for the UAE, the Palestinian cause is a critical issue and that was clear through utilizing the relationship with Israel to send humanitarian aid, initiate the vaccination campaign in Gaza, etc," Rasha Al Joundy, a senior researcher at the Dubai Public Policy Research Centre, told China Daily.

"There is no scenario that the region will enjoy peace without a Palestinian State. Any other temporary solution, the UAE doesn't have an interest to be part of.

"Signing the Abraham Accords doesn't mean that Israel gets to be arrogant in its proposals for the day after, especially (with) its neighbors."

Almost a year into the conflict, Israel has yet to meet its objectives of eliminating Hamas in Gaza and securing the release of about 100 hostages still being held by the militant group, while Palestinian civilians continue to pay a heavy price.

The Palestinian death toll has swelled to at least 41,226, while Netanyahu faced criticisms from citizens and the hostages' families over his prolonged efforts to reach a cease-fire deal.

Recently, the Israeli military, after months of denial, admitted a high probability that three Israeli captives who died in Gaza in November might have been killed in its own strikes.

Israel's military assault has also begun to spill over to other parts of the region, particularly against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen, and more recently Iran.

On Sunday, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, leader of the Houthi group, warned their military actions against Israel would intensify. This warning followed a missile attack launched by the Houthis earlier in the day targeting central Israel.

"Our operations will continue as long as the aggression and siege on the Gaza Strip continue," al-Houthi said in a televised address, Xinhua News Agency reported.

In an interview with the BBC, the United Nations' Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator Sigrid Kaag said the international community is collectively failing innocent civilians in Gaza as it is not meeting the needs or creating prospects and hope for civilians in the besieged enclave.