UAE presses Palestinian cause during rare talks with Israel minister

DUBAI, April 07: The United Arab Emirates foreign minister on Sunday pressed the need for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict during a rare visit by Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar, an official statement said.

The UAE and Israel established relations in 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords. But there has been little bilateral contact since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, after the Hamas attacks on Israel.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE deputy prime minister and foreign minister, and Saar discussed "the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip" and efforts to reach a ceasefire, said a UAE foreign ministry statement. �"AFP