Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, on Sunday said “all eyes are on Gaza” amid hopes of a “lasting peace”.
Israel and Hamas were due to hold indirect talks in Egypt on Sunday and Monday aimed at ending the war in the enclave, with momentum gathering for a ceasefire amid pressure from US President Donald Trump.
In this context, Dr Gargash wrote on X: “All eyes are on Gaza today, on ending the suffering of its people, securing the release of hostages and prisoners and seeking prospects for a lasting peace that spares the region and its people from the cycle of these devastating wars.
“As always, the United Arab Emirates will fulfil its active and responsible political and humanitarian role during this critical period, in support of the region’s stability and security.”
Those in the enclave know all too well the situation is precarious, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning late on Saturday that “Hamas will be disarmed … either diplomatically via Trump's plan or militarily by us”.
He said he hopes to announce the release of all hostages from Gaza “in the coming days” and that he had sent a delegation to Egypt “to finalise technical details”.
The Israeli leader spoke after Hamas said it had accepted some elements of a plan put forward by Mr Trump to end the war. Mr Trump welcomed the Hamas response but warned on Saturday that “Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off”.
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was travelling to Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials on the way forward, sources told The National, while the White House told US media that Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner will attend as well.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry announced the talks but gave no further details.
