During a phone call, US and UAE Presidents discussed the importance of coordination among regional and international parties in calling for restraint and immediate de-escalation in the Israeli-Hamas conflict….reports Asian Lite News
President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and US President Joe Biden held a phone call to discuss regional developments and efforts to contain the current situation in light of increasing violence and escalation, which gravely threaten regional security and stability.
The two sides emphasised the critical need to prioritise the protection of civilians and open safe corridors to enable the delivery of humanitarian aid.
They also discussed the importance of coordination among regional and international parties in calling for restraint and immediate de-escalation. In this regard, both leaders noted the need to work to widen political prospects to achieve peace, stability, and security in the Middle East region.
During the call, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and President Biden also reviewed the close strategic partnership and friendship between the UAE and US, as well as opportunities to further develop ties in various fields.
Meanwhile, UAE Foreign Minister H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan has received a phone call from Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during which they discussed the latest developments in the region and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian escalation and its repercussions.
During the call, the two ministers discussed regional and international efforts being made to de-escalate the situation and stressed the importance of protecting civilian lives.
Sheikh Abdullah warned of the danger of continued escalation to the security and stability of the region, underscoring the importance of unifying and coordinating all regional and international efforts with the aim of ending extremism, violence and the escalating tension that could have dire consequences for the region and its peoples.
The UAE yesterday received a phone call from Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, in which they discussed efforts to de-escalate grave regional developments, particularly on the humanitarian level. They emphasised the importance of preserving civilian lives and avoiding further escalation while securing corridors to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The two leaders stressed the urgent need for the international community to actively contribute to a comprehensive peace process that would prevent further crises and instability in the region.
UN staff, students killed in Gaza
At least 11 United Nations staff and personnel, as well as 30 students at UN schools have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the October 7 attack.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, “11 United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff and personnel have been killed since Saturday”, referring to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees which also runs schools in Gaza.
“30 UNRWA students have also been killed and another eight have been injured,” she said.
The victims include five teachers, a gynaecologist, an engineer, a counsellor and three support staff, UNRWA’s deputy director Jennifer Austin said in a statement.
She further said, “UNRWA mourns this loss and is grieving with our colleagues and the families. UN staff and civilians must be protected at all times during conflict. We call for the fighting to come to an end to spare more civilian lives lost.”
Reportedly, over 250,000 people in Gaza have fled from their homes, the UN said.
However, most of these people have crowded into schools run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, The Times of Israel reported.
Marking the sixth day of the fatal rocket fire attack by Hamas, over 1,200 people have been killed, more than 3000 injured and an estimated 100-150 were abducted and taken to the Gaza Strip.
The Israel Air Force’s chief of staff, Brigadier General Omer Tishler said that the Israeli Air Force was not targeting civilians in the Gaza Strip, but that the strikes were no longer “surgical”.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called on to protect civilians, and for international humanitarian law to be upheld.
“About 220,000 Palestinians are now sheltering in 92 UNRWA facilities across Gaza,” he said, adding that UN premises, hospitals, clinics and schools must “never be targeted.”
The Palestinian envoy also mentioned Israel’s Defence Minister’s statement in the letter, which said, “We are fighting human animals… We are imposing a complete siege on Gaza. There will be no electricity, no water, no fuel. Everything will be closed”.
He claimed that “Israeli occupying forces (IOF)” continue attacking civilian areas across the Gaza Strip, firing missiles, bombs and artillery by air, land and sea. Violating all rules of international humanitarian law, Israel is deliberately targeting homes, including apartment buildings, refugee camps, hospitals and other medical facilities, UNRWA schools, mosques, and other civilian properties and infrastructure, including roads, hampering the passage of emergency vehicles and access of humanitarian personnel to aid the wounded.
The letter mentioned that the casualties are estimated at 849 Palestinians killed, including families in their entirety throughout Gaza, and over 5,350 wounded by lethal IOF attacks in the days since Israel began its onslaught on 7 October. The toll is rising by the minute.
Giving details about the destruction, the Palestinian envoy sought the stop the bloodshed and save civilian lives and reiterated that the targeting of civilians must be halted immediately.
As of Wednesday, the coastal enclave, home to 2.3 million people have been dealing with deteriorating condition as entire city blocks were reduced to rubble and residents searched for places to go.
Moreover, the power plant in the Gaza Strip ceased operations on Wednesday afternoon after running out of fuel, the Gaza Energy Authority announced, The Jerusalem Post reported.
