UAE denies funding Israel’s aid project in Gaza

An Emirati official denied reports that his country may fund an Israeli pilot project to establish a humanitarian aid centre in Gaza, according to CNN Arabic.

CNN Arabic quoted an unnamed official confirming: “The UAE strongly denies media reports regarding funding a pilot centre for humanitarian aid in Gaza and rejects the baseless allegations promoted by some media outlets.”

The Emirati official also conveyed that his country would not support the reconstruction of Gaza after the end of the war unless Israel commits to granting the Palestinians an independent state.

According to CNN Arabic, the Emirati official added: “His country is not prepared to provide support (for the day after) in Gaza without the establishment of a Palestinian state, which reflects the UAE’s firm position in supporting the Palestinians’ right to self-determination, and the country’s belief that regional stability will only be achieved through a two-state solution.”

Read: UNRWA publishes map of Gaza humanitarian disaster

US website Axios reported this week that Israel hired a consulting firm that: “Envisions a pilot project involving the establishment of a humanitarian aid hub in an area in Gaza that has been ‘cleared’ by the IDF and isn’t controlled by Hamas. The plan calls for the project to be funded by donor countries. Israeli officials mentioned the UAE as a potential donor.”

Axios continued that the centre: “Would be established by a private aid organisation (rather than the UN) and be secured by private contractors, working in coordination with the IDF.”

This plan comes after Israel banned the work of The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the main UN relief agency responsible for providing aid in the Gaza Strip.

On 4 November, Israel announced cancelling the agreement over UNRWA’s work, effectively banning its operation in the occupied Palestinian territories if the decision goes into effect within three months.