The United Arab Emirates’ foreign ministry spoke out against the assault by Hamas on Israel in a statement on Sunday.
“The ministry stressed that attacks by Hamas against Israeli towns and villages near the Gaza Strip, including the firing of thousands of rockets at population centers, are a serious and grave escalation,” the statement begins.
It went on to note that it is “appalled” by reports that Israeli civilians had been kidnapped and taken as hostages from their homes, adding that international law prohibits such treatment of non-combatant civilians.
In a statement, @mofauae has called for the protection of civilians and stressed that the immediate priority is to end the violence and protect the civilian population.The #UAE Ministry stressed that attacks by Hamas against Israeli towns and villages near the Gaza strip,…
— Afra Al Hameli (@AfraMalHameli) October 8, 2023
Additionally, the UAE foreign ministry expressed its condolences to the families of those who have been killed or taken hostage before stating that it “deeply mourns” both the Israelis and Palestinians who have been killed. It went on to call on “both parties” to de-escalate the violence.
Additionally, it noted that the UAE is calling on the international community to prevent the violence from spilling over elsewhere or creating wider instability.
Hamas is trying to derail peace efforts
It added that the international community must oppose the efforts to “derail ongoing regional efforts aimed at dialogue, cooperation, and co-existence,” and not allow malicious actors to perpetuate and exacerbate violence in an already violence-stricken region.
The statement concluded by stating that the UAE is involved with its partners both regionally and internationally in efforts to “de-escalate the situation and restore calm in Israel and the OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories),” and to work towards a two-state solution. Lastly, the UAE statement emphasized that both Israelis and Palestinians “deserve to live in peace and dignity.”
Abdullah bin Zayed reiterates the UAE's calls for de-escalation and the protection of civilians amid the recent developments in the region during discussions with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, France, and Türkiye. pic.twitter.com/uE1Il6j330
— OFM (@OFMUAE) October 8, 2023
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the UAE foreign ministry stated that the foreign minister, Abdullah bin Zayed, “reiterates the UAE's calls for de-escalation and the protection of civilians amid the recent developments in the region during discussions with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, France, and Turkey.”