In meeting with Netanyahu, UAE foreign minister calls for Gaza ceasefire, rejection of annexation

The United Arab Emirates Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York on Friday, where he reiterated the “urgent need” for a Gaza ceasefire while rejecting calls from coalition members for the annexation of Palestinian territories in Judea and Samaria (West Bank).

According to Emirati news agency WAM, bin Zayed “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 said there was a need “to ensure the unimpeded and sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid” into Gaza, and “reiterated the UAE’s unwavering commitment to initiatives aimed at achieving a comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.” 

The meeting between the two leaders took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, where Netanyahu delivered a speech earlier on Friday. Despite attempts by nations hostile to Israel to stage a mass walkout during his address, the UAE delegation remained in the hall as a show of support for the Abraham Accords – signed between the two nations during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term – as well as for continued diplomatic efforts to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

According to Emirati news agency The National, bin Zayed also discussed Trump’s recent 21-point proposal to end the Gaza war, free the hostages, and begin rehabilitating the war-torn enclave. That proposal is also intended to prepare a pathway for a Palestinian state, but does not include U.S. recognition of such a state at the moment.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed also reiterated the UAE’s support for a two-state solution, warning against calls to annex territory in Judea and Samaria, which the Emirates have previously warned would be a red line that would have consequences for the Abraham Accords. 

Earlier in September, UAE Assistant Minister for Political Affairs Lana Nusseibeh warned that annexation would be “a red line.”

“The future of Palestine continues to be the cornerstone of a peaceful future for the Middle East,” Nusseibeh said. “Annexation by Israel of Palestinian land, if pursued, would not only close the door to peace and integration; it would betray the very spirit of the Abraham Accords. For the UAE, this is not a matter of politics alone. It is a matter of principle, and it is a matter of peace for our region. It is also a red line.” 

Following the meeting between Netanyahu and bin Zayed, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic advisor to the Emirati president, wrote on 𝕏 that the talks were “a bold step to support international efforts to end the Gaza war.”

“Just as the UAE's position was decisive in closing the file on Israel's annexation of Palestinian lands,” Gargash wrote, “the meeting tonight between Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and the Israeli Prime Minister in New York is a bold step to support international efforts to end the Gaza war and reach a permanent ceasefire that puts an end to the humanitarian tragedy and bolsters the path to peace.” 

The UAE has been a major provider of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip since the outbreak of the war, and according to Israeli media reports, the government expects the Emirates to play a major role in the reconstruction and administration of the territory once hostilities end.

However, as Netanyahu expressed in his speech on Friday, most Israeli politicians remain strongly opposed to a Palestinian state, seeing it as a direct threat to Israeli security and a reward for Hamas’ terror strategy.