LONDON: UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the latest regional developments and the ongoing escalation between Israelis and Palestinians, Emirates News Agency reported on Sunday.
During the phone call, Sheikh Abdullah emphasized the importance of exercising the utmost restraint, noting that the escalation could have dangerous regional repercussions.
The two top diplomats addressed international efforts to manage the crisis, and agreed to maintain coordination and consultation, and work to avoid further escalation in the region.
The Israeli government formally declared war on Sunday against Hamas for its surprise attack.
At least 700 people have reportedly been killed in Israel — a toll on a scale the country has not experienced in decades — and more than 400 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as airstrikes pound the territory.
Speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” Blinken said as many as 1,000 Hamas fighters were involved in the attack — underscoring the extent of planning by the militant group that rules Gaza.
UAE FM, US secretary of state discuss Israel-Hamas conflict
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UAE FM, US secretary of state discuss Israel-Hamas conflict
- The Israeli government formally declared war on Sunday against Hamas for its surprise attack
Senior Hamas figure among 7 killed in Israeli airstrike
- Pair of Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza's Deir Al-Balah, killing a Hamas commander
- Boy, aged 16, among the dead
CAIRO: A senior figure in the armed wing of Hamas was among seven people killed on Thursday in a pair of Israeli airstrikes in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, a Hamas source said.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the incident. The Hamas source said one of the dead was Mohammed Al-Holy, a local commander in the group’s armed wing in Deir Al-Balah.
Hamas condemned the strikes on the Al-Holy family, in a statement that did not mention Mohammed or his role in the group. It accused Israel of violating the ceasefire deal in place since October, and attempting to reignite the conflict.
Health officials said the six other dead in the incident included a 16-year-old.
Israel and Hamas have traded blame for violations of the ceasefire and remain far apart from each other on key issues, despite the United States announcing the start of the agreement’s second phase on Wednesday.
More than 400 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed since the ceasefire took effect in October.
Israel has razed buildings and ordered residents out of more than half of Gaza where its troops remain. Nearly all of the territory’s more than 2 million people now live in makeshift homes or damaged buildings in a sliver of territory where Israeli troops have withdrawn and Hamas has reasserted control.
The United Nations children’s agency said on Tuesday that over 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire, including victims of drone and quadcopter attacks.
Israel launched its operations in Gaza in the wake of an attack by Hamas-led fighters in October 2023 which killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s assault has killed 71,000 people, according to health authorities in the strip, and left much of Gaza in ruins.
