Skip to main content

Israel and UAE discuss ceasefire, hostage release in Gaza conflict

1 min Oren Levi

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar paid a rare official visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, where he met with his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Gideon Sa'ar and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan © X

Gideon Sa'ar and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan © X

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar paid a rare official visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, where he met with his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The high-level meeting comes amid ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and reflects efforts to maintain regional diplomatic engagement despite strained circumstances.

According to a statement from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two ministers focused particularly on “the deepening humanitarian situation in Gaza” and explored “regional and international efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire, facilitating a truce agreement, and securing the release of hostages.”

Ties between Israel and the UAE were formalized under the 2020 Abraham Accords. However, senior-level reciprocal visits have become increasingly rare since the outbreak of the current conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Following the meeting in Abu Dhabi, Minister Sa’ar shared a message on social media platform X, expressing optimism about future cooperation:
“Major challenges lie ahead in the Middle East, but there are partners for a better future of cooperation and stability. Thank you to our hosts!”

The visit is seen as part of Israel’s broader push to maintain diplomatic channels in the region while seeking allies in mediating a path out of the war.

Oren Levi

Oren Levi

Oren Levi knows this region the way only a native can. Based in Tel Aviv, he has spent years covering the complexities of Israel and the Palestinian territories for some of the country's leading newspapers and television channels. Sharp, well-sourced and relentlessly on the ground, he brought that expertise to Mena Today two years ago, and hasn't looked up from the story since.

Related

Israel

Netanyahu loses a key ally as ultra-Orthodox party holds back

Benjamin Netanyahu's position in the post-election battle to stay on as Israel's prime minister weakened on Thursday after an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party withheld support for any nominee and an Arab-led party endorsed his main opponent.

Syria

Saudi-Syrian defence deal marks new chapter in relations

Saudi Arabia and Syria signed a cooperation agreement between the two countries' defense ministries on Wednesday, Saudi state news agency SPA reported, as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group continues its missile and drone attacks on the kingdom.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.