UAE: Returning to pre-October 7 conditions unacceptable

The UAE has called for the establishment of a Palestinian state with a unified Gaza Strip and West Bank, saying a return to conditions before October 7 of last year is "unacceptable." 

The UAE's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Mohamed Abu Shahab, said there is an urgent need to develop a clear vision and sustainable solutions, not only to end the war in Gaza but to end the Arab-Israeli conflict as a whole. 

"It is not possible to remain in the cycle of reconstruction and destruction, or accept a return to the situation that existed before October 7 of last year, especially after the enormous loss of life resulting from this war, and the expectations that recovery from it will take decades, including recovery from the psychological effects on those who lived through the horrors of this war and lost their loved ones and everything they owned," Abu Shahab said during the UN Security Council briefing on the Middle East.

"Either we turn this tragedy into a transition point for the region from conflicts and wars to peace and prosperity, or we allow it to deepen the cycle of violence and instability," the Emirati representative said. 

He praised the establishment of the Two-State Solution Alliance and the holding of its first meeting in Riyadh and stressed the importance of granting Palestine full membership in the United Nations as a fundamental step towards the embodiment of the independent Palestinian state.

The UAE has suggested establishing a "temporary international mission" in Gaza. It would reportedly be under the official invitation of the Palestinian Authority (PA) for the restoration of "law and order." The country also pushed for a reformed PA to govern both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. 

On October 7 of last year, Hamas members killed at least 1,200 Israelis and took 250 others hostage. Israel launched its latest aggression in the Gaza Strip in response to the attack, killing over 43,000 Palestinians, injuring over 100,000 and displacing 90 per cent of the population.

Before the Hamas attack in 2023, the West Bank observed the highest rate of violence and arbitrary arrests by Israeli authorities and settlers.