Israel sharpens travel warning for Israelis in UAE, PM's office says
The UAE's Israeli and Jewish community has grown more visible since 2020, when the UAE became the most prominent Arab state in 30 years to establish formal ties with Israel under a U.S.-brokered agreement dubbed the Abraham Accords.
"We are emphasizing this travel warning given our understanding that terrorist organizations (the Iranians, Hamas, Hezbollah and Global Jihad) are increasing their efforts to harm Israel", the National Security Council (NSC) said.
The NSC warned of possible attempts to target Israeli and Jewish individuals in the UAE, especially around Jewish holidays and Shabbat.
There was no immediate comment from the UAE's foreign ministry.
The warning comes amid concerns of retaliatory attacks following its recent military operation against Iran and as Israel faces mounting international pressure over the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
In March, the UAE sentenced three people to death for the murder of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who was killed in November in the Gulf country. Such crimes are rare in the UAE, which is largely viewed as one of the safest places in the Middle East.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
Hamas claims it will keep fighting in Gaza unless a Palestinian state is established
Hamas has said it will carry on fighting until an independent Palestinian state is established in a fresh rebuke to a key Israeli demand to end the war in Gaza. The militants said Hamas would not stop ' armed resistance ' until an 'independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital" is recognised. Israel considers the disarmament of Hamas a key condition for any deal to end the conflict, but Hamas has repeatedly said it is not willing to lay down its weapons. Last week, indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza war and deal for the release of hostages ended in deadlock. On Tuesday, meditators Qatar and Egypt endorsed a declaration by France and Saudi Arabia outlining steps toward a two-state solution on condition of Hamas handed arms to a Western-backed Palestinian Authority. Last month, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said any future independent Palestinian state would be a platform to destroy Israel and said, for that reason, security control over the occupied Palestinian territories must remain with Israel. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt last week called for the terrorist group to 'disarm' and disband. It was the first time these countries have condemned Hamas and demanded it play no part in the future of Palestine. The declaration read: 'In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state.' Mr Netanyahu also criticised several countries, including the UK, for announcing plans to recognise a Palestinian state in response to devastation of Gaza. The war started when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza. Israel's subsequent military assault on Gaza has turned much of the enclave into a wasteland, killed over 60,000 Palestinians and set off a humanitarian catastrophe. Israel and Hamas traded blame after the most recent round of talks ended in an impasse, with gaps lingering over issues including the extent of an Israeli military withdrawal. Hamas also condemned Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff's visit to an aid distribution centre in Gaza on Friday as "nothing more than a premeditated staged show". Mr Witkoff and Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, visited a centre run by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Hamas said the trip was "designed to mislead public opinion, polish the image of the occupation, and provide it with political cover for its starvation campaign and continued systematic killing of defenceless children and civilians in the Gaza Strip".
Telegraph
9 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Hamas refuses to disarm until Palestinian state recognised
Hamas has said it will refuse to disarm unless an independent Palestinian state is established with Jerusalem as its capital. The Palestinian terror group said in a statement on Saturday that its 'armed resistance…cannot be relinquished except through the full restoration of our national rights, foremost among them the establishment of an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital'. It comes after the UK, France, and Canada all vowed to recognise Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September this year. Sir Keir Starmer said the step would be taken next month unless Israel met a series of conditions, including ending the 'appalling' situation in Gaza. The Prime Minister was criticised for failing to impose any conditions on Hamas, including that the remaining 50 hostages be released. Hamas's statement also came after Arab states called on the terror group to disband and disarm amid the global push for a Palestinian state, and for an end to the war in Gaza. 'In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objectives of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state,' said the declaration by the Arab League of Nations. It was also signed by all 27 European Union states and 17 other countries, including Britain. While Hamas has previously called for a Palestinian state, it envisages an Islamic state across modern-day Israel, which it does not recognise. Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza war and deal for the release of hostages ended in deadlock last week. Sir Keir insisted this week that he was listening to the hostages' families but said he still intends to recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel commits to a ceasefire and two-state solution. He told ITV that while the hostages should be released, the UK needed to do 'everything we can to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where we are seeing the children and babies starving for want of aid which could be delivered. 'That is why I've said unless things materially change on the ground, we'll have to assess this in September, we will recognise Palestine before the United Nations General Assembly in September.' The UK's announcement prompted anger from Emily Damari, the British-Israeli hostage who was held captive by Hamas for hundreds of days. She accused the Prime Minister of 'not standing on the right side of history' and that she was 'deeply saddened' by his announcement. Meanwhile, on Saturday, hospitals in Gaza reported the killing of more than a dozen people, including eight seeking food, after Israeli fire on Saturday. Yahia Youssef, who sought aid at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) site, said he saw people lying on the ground bleeding: 'It's the same daily episode.' The controversial US and Israeli-backed GHF said 'nothing happened at or near our sites'. It follows weeks of reports that food-seekers face being shot at, stabbed or trampled to death during rushes to get hold of vital life-saving aid. Israeli soldiers have been accused of shooting at civilians in Gaza, but they insist Hamas infiltrated the aid drops. Countries such as Jordan, the UK and France have co-ordinated to airdrop vital aid into the war-torn enclave, though restrictions have been in place about what reporters aboard the planes are able to show. The Washington Post, however, published a number of photos showing parts of the Gaza Strip that have been decimated by Israel's relentless bombing campaign. Countless buildings have been flattened, partially or totally destroyed, with hundreds of thousands of Gazans forced to live in makeshift tents wherever there is space. The enclave's skyline is blackened, with smoke pouring out of some buildings. The war in Gaza began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians and operates under the Hamas government.
The Guardian
41 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Scottish first minister calls Israel's actions in Gaza ‘genocide' for first time
John Swinney has described for the first time Israel's actions in Gaza as a 'genocide', with the Scottish first minister saying it was indisputable. Swinney became the second leader of a UK nation to use the term 'genocide'' in relation to the attacks by the Israel Defense Forces on Palestinians in Gaza after Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill did so last month. He was speaking at an Edinburgh fringe event in the Scottish capital, which was disrupted numerous times by pro-Palestinian protesters. Speaking to journalists after the event at the Strand Comedy Club, he said: 'It's quite clear that there is a genocide in Palestine – it can't be disputed. 'I have seen reports of terrible atrocities which have the character of being genocide. I've expressed that and obviously it's not reached all those individuals, but that's my feeling,' said Swinney. Israel has repeatedly denied it is carrying out a genocide and says the war in Gaza is one of self-defence after attacks by Hamas in Israel on 7 October 2023 that killed 1,200 people, the majority civilians. More than 250 other people were kidnapped and taken to Gaza, where 50 remain hostage, with 20 believed to be still alive. More than 1,350 Palestinians queueing for aid have been killed by Israeli troops since May, according to UNdata published this week. At least 91 people were killed and hundreds wounded ahead of a visit by the US envoy Steve Witkoff to Israel on Friday. Meanwhile, two leading human rights organisations based in Israel, B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights, say Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and western allies have a legal and moral duty to stop it. Swinney's comments follow pressure from inside the Scottish National party (SNP), including elected representatives in Holyrood and Westminster. Stephen Flynn, the leader of the SNP's nine MPs in Westminster, urged the UK government to call it a genocide during questions in the Commons weeks ago. In July the first minister of Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill, said Israel's actions were 'state terrorism', adding: 'It is inhumanity, it is genocide, it is wrong.' Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion The Scottish government has been criticised for providing money for apprenticeships at firms that build weapons, while not directly funding the manufacturing of munitions. The first minister said the government's commercial arm Scottish Enterprise had the 'strictest assessments imaginable about the purpose and the use of public expenditure in companies who may be related to defence industries'. Pushed on providing money for staff who could build munitions, the first minister said: 'We are trying to enable companies to diversify their activities, that's the purpose. That's why the due diligence checks are applied and they are applied unreservedly.' Throughout the Edinburgh show, groups of people stood up holding signs that together spelled out the word 'genocide' and heckled the first minister. Swinney's security team stopped protesters from approaching the stage. As the event continued, the interruptions became more forceful, until two groups stood up at the same time, shouting at the first minister and chanting slogans such as 'call it genocide'.
