Abu Dhabi – UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and European Council President Charles Michel stressed on Friday the importance of reaching an urgent ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and reducing tension in the West Bank.
This came during their meeting at Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi, according to what was reported by the official Emirates News Agency, in a visit that comes as part of a Gulf tour by the European official, which previously included meetings in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
According to the agency, “the two sides stressed the importance of reaching an agreement on an urgent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which would allow for the provision of sufficient humanitarian support to the residents of the Strip and alleviate their suffering.”
They also stressed “the need to work to reduce tension in the West Bank and push towards a path to permanent and stable peace based on the two-state solution.”
On Wednesday morning, the Israeli army began a large-scale military operation in the governorates of Tulkarm, Jenin and Tubas in the northern West Bank, the “largest” since 2002, before withdrawing from Tulkarm on Thursday evening, and from the Far’a camp in Tubas at dawn on the same day, leaving behind great destruction and arresting dozens.
Bin Zayed and Michel stressed “the seriousness of the escalation of tensions in the region and the importance of international action to contain them and prevent the expansion of the conflict in a way that threatens regional security and stability.”
In this regard, the agency quoted Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed during the meeting, confirming the UAE’s support for all efforts aimed at putting an end to the war in the Gaza Strip and its keenness to enhance the response to the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, and to support the causes of regional stability.
Earlier on Friday, the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz reported that the Israeli delegation to the prisoner exchange and ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip returned from the Qatari capital, Doha, to Israel, without making any progress.
She pointed out that the delegation “left (to Doha) on Wednesday to continue the talks in order to reach an agreement with representatives of the mediating countries (Qatar, Egypt and the United States).”
With American support, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, leaving more than 134,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, amidst massive destruction and deadly famine.
On the other hand, the agency reported that “the two sides discussed various aspects of relations between the UAE and the European Union and ways to develop these relations and expand their horizons at all levels.”
The meeting discussed the GCC-EU summit scheduled to be held in Brussels next October, according to the same source.
On Tuesday, Michel began his tour to discuss the European-Gulf summit and a number of regional issues.
On Tuesday, Michel met with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in Doha, and discussed prospects for enhancing cooperation. He also discussed regional and international developments and efforts to stabilize the region with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Thursday, according to two official sources in the two Gulf countries.
Anatolia
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2024-08-31 17:38:09
