Report: UAE refuses to help rebuild Gaza through Hamas

A demonstrator walks on pictures laid out on the ground depicting X-marks over the faces of Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan (shown before an Israeli flag with the Arabic word “traitor” superimposed), during a protest against the United Arab Emirates’ and Bahrain’s decisions to normalise relations with Israel, in Gaza City on 15 September 2020. [MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images]

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is said to have offered to help rebuild the Gaza Strip provided Hamas does not intervene in the reconstruction efforts, Israel’s Kan channel reported yesterday.

“US officials have in recent days visited the UAE to coordinate efforts to rebuild Gaza, but Abu Dhabi conveyed a clear message to Washington that it would provide direct humanitarian support to Gaza, but it will not finance any such mechanism if Hamas has a role in it,” Israel’s national broadcaster reported.

On 10 May, Israel launched a violent onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip killing more than 270 Palestinians including 66 children. A ceasefire came into effect 11-days later.

Egypt is reported to have called on Israel, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA) to meet in Cairo to discuss consolidating the current ceasefire, improving conditions in Gaza, and returning Israeli prisoners of war detained by Hamas.

Israel has stipulated that it wants all four of its detained citizens to be returned before any rebuilding programmes are allowed to begin in the Gaza Strip.

READ: UAE says it is ready to facilitate Israel-Palestinian peace efforts

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