UAE, Turkey leaders call for an end to hostilities in Gaza
ABU DHABI: President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the Republic of Turkey discussed strengthening bilateral relations and working together to meet the aims of the two countries’ wide-ranging economic partnership.
They also reviewed several regional and international maters of mutual interest and shared their perspectives, including on recent developments in the Gaza Strip.
The two sides stressed the need for international efforts to halt hostilities in the Strip and ensure the full protection of civilians in line with international humanitarian law, as well as guarantee the safe and sustained provision of humanitarian aid without risking further harm or forced displacement.
Moreover, they underscored the critical need to prevent further escalation of conflict in the Middle East, which poses a threat to regional peace and stability.
Their discussions focused on expanding cooperation in areas that would benefit both countries and their peoples.
The meeting took place during Wednesday’s reception in Dubai for Erdogan, who is in the UAE to participate in the World Governments Summit (WGS) 2024, with Turkey as a guest of honour.
Erdogan has offered blistering criticism of Israel, demanding it immediately recognise an independent Palestinian state and halt its war in the Gaza Strip against Hamas.
“Before the region is exposed to harsher threats, we need to stop the massacre in Gaza now,” Erdogan said before the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday.
He described Turkey as “living in a circle of fire” in the region.
He criticised Israeli setlers taking land in the West Bank as some in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline government called for setlements in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, officials from the US, Egypt, Israel and Qatar met in Cairo on Tuesday in another bid to agree a Gaza truce as calls grew for Israel to hold back on a planned assault on the enclave’s southernmost city, crammed with over a million displaced people.
UAE AID: The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) continued distributing winter clothes and food meals to the people of the Gaza Strip, as part of Operation “Gallant Knight 3,” launched by the UAE under the directives of the UAE President to support the Palestinian people.
Benefiting 132,883 individuals, the distribution included 6,700 pieces of clothing, comprising 3,220 winter jackets, along with essential food and relief items.
The aid package encompassed 1,334 food parcels, 592 and 617 hygiene kits for women and children, respectively, 578 tents, 250 sleeping bags, and 58 nappies for children. Furthermore, 25 lighting projectors were installed in refugee camps to enhance living conditions.
HIZBOLLAH WARNING: Hizbollah’s chief said on Tuesday ending the Gaza war was key to halting hostilities on the Lebanon frontier, and accused foreign efforts to end the cross-border violence of serving Israeli interests.
“When the atack on Gaza stops and there is a ceasefire, the fire will also stop in the south” of Lebanon, Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised address, but warned: “If they (Israel) broaden the confrontation, we will do the same.”
AVOID RAFAH OFFENSIVE: UN: UN Secretarygeneral Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday he hopes talks on a pause in the Israel-hamas war will be successful so an Israeli offensive in Gaza’s Rafah can be avoided, warning that it would have “devastating consequences.”
SA MOVES UN COURT: South Africa’s government said on Tuesday it had lodged an “urgent request”withtheun’sinternationalcourtofjustice to consider whether Israel’s military operations targeting the southern Gaza city of Rafah are a breach of provisional orders the court handed down last month in a case alleging genocide.
South Africa has asked the court to weigh whether Israel’s intention to launch a ground offensive in Rafah — where 1.4 million Palestinians have fled in an atempt to escape fighting — represents a “further imminent breach of the rights of Palestinians in Gaza.” South Africa had asked the court to order a cease-fire by Israel, but the justices stopped short of that.
South Africa is now asking the court to consider further provisional measures against Israel, said Tuesday’s statement released by the office of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
SAUDI ON UNRWA FUNDS: Freezing funds to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees risks “aiding” the deaths of civilians in Gaza, the head of Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian agency told reporters on Tuesday.
“We should not penalise the innocent people, millions of people who are living in Gaza, because of an accusation on a handful of people,” Dr Abdullah Al Rabeeah, head of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, said on Tuesday.
“If you have close to two million people living in a small place... and then the funding for the food and for the health basics is stopped, basically you are calling for them to live in, actually, disaster and also aiding in their death.”