UAE joins call to conclude Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal

The UAE has joined the call issued by the leaders of the US, Qatar and Egypt to conclude a Gaza ceasefire and hostages and detainees release deal, Emirati Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed said in a statement on Friday.

The time has come to conclude the deal, the three leaders stressed in a joint statement on Thursday, emphasising the need to bring immediate relief both to the long-suffering people of Gaza and the long-suffering hostages and their families.

Months of violence exacerbating humanitarian situation in Gaza

The agreement, meticulously prepared by the US, Qatar and Egypt, is already on the table and only the details of implementation are left to conclude. It is based on the principles as outlined by the US President in May and endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2735.

The three signatories to the joint statement have called on both Israel and Hamas to resume urgent negotiations on Thursday in either Doha or Cairo in an effort to close all remaining gaps and begin implementation of the deal at the earliest.

The urgency in concluding the deal stems from the fact that the humanitarian situation in Gaza has been exacerbating, putting scores of lives in danger. Experts believe famine has already spread across the territory as Gazans struggle to access basic necessities.

Ismail Haniyeh killing deepens tensions in Middle East

Israeli has agreed to send negotiators to the upcoming round of discussions in Doha or Cairo. But Hamas has refused to do so. The meeting is seen as an attempt by the US and its partners to stop tensions in the Middle East from spiralling out of control.

Ever since the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, regional tensions have been soaring. Tehran has been blaming Israel for the attack and has promised a response. But Israel has not commented directly on the incident.

Stressing the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said she “strongly” supported the efforts to broker agreement, emphasising that a ceasefire is the only approach to save lives, restore hope for peace and secure the return of hostages.

Netanyahu said conflict can only stop once Hamas is defeated

Despite numerous rounds of negotiations, the challenge of reaching a ceasefire and hostage release deal has so far proved difficult to achieve. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously said the conflict can only stop once Hamas is defeated.

Hamas official Osama Hamdan said in June that the group is pushing for a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the enclave and an exchange deal involving Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.