In a bid to address the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held discussions on Wednesday. Their primary focus was on safeguarding civilians and establishing a channel for aid and relief, as reported by the official WAM news agency.
Both leaders emphasized the urgency to de-escalate the conflict, highlighting the need to strive for “a comprehensive and just peace” while preventing any further unrest in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Kishida condemned the October 7 attack led by Hamas and other Palestinian militants, notably denouncing the kidnapping of civilians. He recognized the UAE’s diplomatic endeavors to mitigate the hostilities and expressed a desire to collaborate with the Gulf state to stabilize the situation and enhance the humanitarian condition in Gaza.
Following the normalization of relations with Israel in 2020, the UAE rebuked Israel for a deadly attack on a Gaza Strip hospital this past Tuesday. The tragic event, which both Hamas and Israel accuse each other of initiating, resulted in the loss of over 470 lives and left more than 300 injured. Since the conflict erupted nearly two weeks ago, estimated casualties amount to over 3,500 in Gaza and over 1,400 in Israel.
Additionally, on Wednesday, Kishida held talks with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. They discussed the ongoing crisis, stressing the cessation of all military activities. The Saudi Press Agency quoted MBS denouncing the “targeting of civilians in Gaza as a heinous crime.”
Meanwhile, efforts led by the United States and Egypt are underway to establish a relief passage to Gaza. Following US President Biden’s recent visit to Tel Aviv, it was agreed that up to 20 aid trucks would be allowed entry via the Rafah crossing.
Before the conflict that started on October 7, around 100 trucks delivered humanitarian aid daily to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, as cited by the United Nations.