logo
UAE Foreign Minister meets Israeli opposition leader in Abu Dhabi

UAE Foreign Minister meets Israeli opposition leader in Abu Dhabi

TAG 91.12 days ago
His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, has met with Israel's opposition leader Yair Lapid.
The meeting in Abu Dhabi focused on the evolving UAE-Israel relations and key developments in the Middle East - with a focus on Gaza.
Sheikh Abdullah emphasised the UAE's support for a ceasefire, the release of hostages and the safe delivery of aid to civilians.
He also stressed the importance of reviving peace talks based on the two-state solution to ensure long-term regional stability.
Abdullah bin Zayed meets with Yair Lapid #WamNews https://t.co/mse1qJwlpJ pic.twitter.com/Tpdflz6c8n
— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) July 4, 2025
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Israel sends team to Qatar for Gaza truce talks despite 'unacceptable' Hamas demands
Israel sends team to Qatar for Gaza truce talks despite 'unacceptable' Hamas demands

The National

time26 minutes ago

  • The National

Israel sends team to Qatar for Gaza truce talks despite 'unacceptable' Hamas demands

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was sending a negotiating team to Qatar on Sunday for Gaza truce talks, but rejected earlier demands made by Hamas. 'The changes that Hamas is seeking to make in the Qatari proposal were conveyed to us last night and are unacceptable to Israel,' said a statement from his office late on Saturday. 'In light of an assessment of the situation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that the invitation to proximity talks be accepted and that the contacts for the return of our hostages – on the basis of the Qatari proposal that Israel has agreed to – be continued,' the statement added. Mr Netanyahu is also set to depart for Washington on Sunday to meet US President Donald Trump, with Gaza expected to dominate discussions there. Mr Trump renewed the push to end the war in Gaza that has been raging for about 21 months. He has pledged to be firm on Mr Netanyahu and has expressed hope to use the momentum of the ceasefire between Israel and Iran to secure a truce in the Palestinian enclave. Hamas on Friday said it had given a 'positive' response to the US-backed framework that envisions a 60-day ceasefire that would see the return of several Israeli hostages. The Palestinian group is also seeking personal guarantees from Mr Trump that the war in Gaza will come to a complete end. 'We submitted our positive response to the mediators yesterday. A new round of negotiations is expected to begin, focusing on the core issues: Israeli withdrawal and an end to the war,' a Hamas official told The National on Saturday. The Hamas official said the deal on the table would see the group releasing 10 living Israeli hostages and returning the bodies of 18 others. The response by Hamas appeared not to signal an immediate end to hostilities, though. The group is seeking assurances from mediators that some additional demands will be met, sources told The National on Friday. The sources confirmed Hamas would convey its acceptance of the proposed deal along with a request for assurances from US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators about the implementation of some of its 'unpublicised' clauses. The ceasefire efforts come amid continuing Israeli attacks on Gaza and as Palestinians struggle for limited aid supplies. The US on Saturday blamed Hamas for an attack that injured two American aid workers from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The US and Israeli-backed GHF said that the injured Americans were receiving medical treatment and were in a stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries. 'The attack – which preliminary information indicates was carried out by two assailants who threw two grenades at the Americans – occurred at the conclusion of an otherwise successful distribution in which thousands of Gazans safely received food,' the GHF said. US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce blamed 'Hamas terrorists' for the attack.

UK arrests 83-year-old priest for backing Palestine Action and opposing Gaza genocide
UK arrests 83-year-old priest for backing Palestine Action and opposing Gaza genocide

Middle East Eye

time10 hours ago

  • Middle East Eye

UK arrests 83-year-old priest for backing Palestine Action and opposing Gaza genocide

An 83-year-old retired priest has been arrested for defying a newly enforced ban on pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action, just hours after the group was formally outlawed by the UK government. The Reverend Sue Parfitt, from Bristol, was detained for holding a placard that read: 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.' She was among more than 27 people arrested on Saturday for acts of defiance against the proscription. Parfitt's arrest has sparked widespread outrage on social media. One user called it 'the march of authoritarianism & crackdown on freedom of speech & expression,' while another questioned whether it was now illegal to call her 'a hero.' Her friend, Jerry Hicks, demanded her release, stating: 'She is against genocide & that's not a crime.' Another social media user said "Incredibly brave stuff here from Reverend Sue Parfitt. These are the people we will remember fondly when all of this is a distant nightmare." New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The arrests came just after midnight on Saturday, as a government order to label Palestine Action a terrorist group took legal effect. Supporting or joining the group now carries a penalty of up to 14 years in prison. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper had announced the ban following the group's admission of vandalising two Voyager aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on 20 June. British police claimed that the damage totalled around £7 million. This could not be independently verified. Palestine Action had attempted to delay the move through the courts. A High Court bid for interim relief was denied on Friday, and the Court of Appeal upheld that decision less than two hours before the ban was due to take effect. MPs had voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to proscribe the direct action group, alongside the neo-Nazi Maniacs Murder Cult and the Russian Imperial Movement. Human rights advocates have criticised the government's decision as a disproportionate response aimed at silencing dissent. Since its founding in 2020, Palestine Action has targeted firms supplying arms to Israel, saying it aims to shut down facilities complicit in Israeli war crimes. The group denies any affiliation with terrorist activity.

Israeli settlers attack German journalists reporting on West Bank violence
Israeli settlers attack German journalists reporting on West Bank violence

Middle East Eye

time11 hours ago

  • Middle East Eye

Israeli settlers attack German journalists reporting on West Bank violence

Two journalists from the German state broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) were attacked by Israeli settlers while reporting in the occupied West Bank, the outlet said on Saturday. The correspondent and cameraman came under assault on Friday in the Palestinian village of Sinjil, north of Ramallah. They were covering a planned protest against mounting settler violence when a group of settlers hurled stones at them and chased them from the scene. The DW crew managed to escape without physical injury, but the cameraman's vehicle was severely damaged. According to DW, other international journalists present during the attack were also forced to flee after coming under a barrage of stones. DW director Peter Limbourg condemned the assault, calling for immediate accountability. "This attack cannot be justified by anything, and we demand quite clearly: the Israeli government must guarantee the safety of all journalists in the West Bank," he said in a statement. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Israel's military, which oversees security in the West Bank, did not initially comment. A spokesperson later said the incident would be reviewed. 'Israel's systematic assassination of Palestinian reporters' Attacks on journalists in the occupied West Bank are not new. In May, at least 13 reporters were injured during assaults by both Israeli forces and settlers. In one instance, a journalist was struck in the head with a stick by settlers while covering an attack in Al-Mughayyir village, east of Ramallah. The journalist lost consciousness and was taken to a medical centre in Ramallah. Western media enabling Gaza genocide and rewriting history, say experts Read More » In that same attack, six journalists suffered temporary asphyxiation after Israeli troops fired tear gas during a raid in Nablus. Another six were reportedly affected by tear gas in Bethlehem during clashes. The latest attacks comes as Israel continues to target and kill journalists in Gaza. In June a Palestinian photojournalist was killed in an Israeli air strike on western Gaza City. The Government Media Office confirmed the death of Ismail Abu Hatab, bringing the number of journalists killed in Gaza since October 2023 to 228. In a statement, the office denounced 'Israel's systematic assassination of Palestinian reporters in Gaza' and urged media and rights organisations to 'condemn these systematic crimes against Gaza journalists.' Since 7 October 2023, settler violence in the occupied West Bank has sharply escalated. Armed settlers—often carrying rifles, clubs and stones—have raided Palestinian villages, torching homes, vehicles and farmland, often with the backing of the Israeli army. Roughly three million Palestinians live under Israeli occupation in the West Bank, alongside more than 700,000 Israeli settlers residing in over 200 settlements, including in East Jerusalem. These settlements are considered illegal under international law.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store