UAE welcomes intent of 10 nations to recognise State of Palestine
In a statement, Sheikh Abdullah described the move as a historic step that reflects growing international support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to establish an independent and sovereign state.
He added that the increasing number of countries signalling their intention to recognise Palestine represents positive momentum toward reviving the political process and advancing efforts for a just and lasting peace in the region. These developments, he said, contribute to strengthening regional peace, security and the broader aspirations for development and prosperity.
Sheikh Abdullah also called on the international community to take similar steps, affirming that recognising Palestine is a moral, humanitarian and legal responsibility. Such recognition, he stressed, is essential to achieving a comprehensive and sustainable resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Middle East Eye
an hour ago
- Middle East Eye
Hamas offers Red Cross to feed captives in return for aid entering Gaza
Hamas has expressed its willingness to cooperate with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in providing food and medicine to Israeli captives, in exchange for allowing humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Abu Obeida, spokesperson for the military wing of the Palestinian group, the al-Qassam Brigades, said on Sunday that they are "ready to engage positively and respond to any request from the Red Cross to deliver food and medicine to the enemy's prisoners". However, he stated that the offer is contingent on the opening of humanitarian corridors "in a normal and permanent manner" to ensure food and medicine can reach the entire population of Gaza. He further added that Israel must cease aerial activity over Gaza during the delivery of these packages to the captives. "The al-Qassam Brigades do not intentionally starve prisoners; they eat the same food as our fighters and the general population. They will not receive any special privileges in light of the ongoing siege and the crime of starvation," he remarked. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The statement follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call for the ICRC to bring food and medical care to the captives, after footage was released by Hamas and Islamic Jihad showing captives Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski in a severely emaciated condition. The ICRC said in a statement that they were "appalled" by the footage, writing on X: "We have said from day one, and we reiterate, that all hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally. "All forms of public exposure that humiliate persons deprived of liberty and endanger their safety must be avoided. This dire situation must come to an end." Families of captives have expressed shock to what they described as "walking skeletons", and have held demonstrations over the weekend urging the government to end the war. Ofir Braslavski, Rom's father, indicated in an interview with Israeli Channel 12 that he had spoken to Netanyahu, saying: 'I told him, he's dying and… to stop everything… and give [Hamas] what they want, to get the hostages out." The Israeli premier gave Ofir assurances that they were doing everything, however the father expressed that he "doesn't buy it" because there has been no progress. In Gaza, bread is now a treasure and hunger a daily killer Read More » Israel's blockade and starvation policy in Gaza has led to a rising number of deaths from malnutrition in recent days, with at least five deaths recorded in the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of victims of famine to 180, including 93 children. The Israel-imposed siege has also resulted in the spread of diseases and disorders caused by a lack of medicine and treatment as civilians grapple with a collapsing health sector, poor sanitation and dire living conditions. The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that three people have died from Guillain-Barre syndrome on Monday. The ministry said the rare but serious nerve disorder is spreading as a result of acute malnutrition and untreated infections, both of which have surged under Israel's relentless blockade. 'Starvation and medical neglect are killing our people,' the ministry said, holding Israel fully responsible for the collapse of Gaza's healthcare system.
Middle East Eye
4 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Only 80 aid trucks entered Gaza as daily need tops 600, says media office
Gaza's Government Media Office said on Monday that just 80 aid trucks entered the territory on Sunday, far below the 600 trucks needed each day to meet minimum humanitarian needs. In a statement shared via Telegram, the office said most of the limited aid was looted amid ongoing security chaos, which it blamed on the Israeli occupation. 'The actual daily needs of the Gaza Strip are no less than 600 trucks of relief and fuel to meet the minimum requirements of life in the Strip,' it said. The office denounced what it described as 'systematic starvation,' the continued closure of border crossings, and the deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid. It held Israel and its international backers fully responsible for the deepening crisis, which it said affects more than 2.4 million Palestinians. The statement urged the international community and humanitarian groups to intervene, calling for the permanent reopening of all crossings and the uninterrupted delivery of food, medical supplies, and baby formula. It also called for legal accountability for crimes against defenceless civilians.
Middle East Eye
4 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
'Eli Cohens inside Iran': How Israel's war exposed deep infiltration and intelligence gaps
When Israel launched a surprise 12-day assault on Iran in June, Tehran and the world were caught off guard. Few anticipated such a move, particularly while Iran was engaged in sensitive nuclear negotiations with the United States. Sources told Middle East Eye that a handful of countries had warned Iranian authorities about suspicious Israeli movements. Yet despite heightened alert levels, Tehran was ultimately blindsided when the attack materialised. The nature of the attack and the ease with which it was executed sent shockwaves through Iran's political and security establishment. Behind the scenes, covert Mossad agents, paid informants, and a network of operatives - many allegedly embedded among Afghan migrants - are believed to have facilitated the strikes. An Iranian source in the conservatives' camp told MEE that Israel had long stationed agents inside Iran, observing the movements of officials. The source added that a series of cyber intrusions into Iranian banks and government institutions may have compromised personal data - including phone numbers and addresses of high-level figures and their families - paving the way for deeper penetration. "There have been some Eli Cohens inside the Islamic Republic too," the source remarked, referencing the infamous Israeli spy executed in Syria. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The Cohens In 2021, former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad publicly revealed that the head of the Israeli desk at Iran's Ministry of Intelligence had, in fact, been a Mossad agent - and was later arrested. 'How could the top official responsible for tracking Israeli spies turn out to be one himself?' Ahmadinejad asked at the time. 'Is it even conceivable that a single person was solely running Israeli operations inside Iran, without any oversight or team?' Just four days into the war, on 17 June, Israel killed Iran's highest-ranking military officer, Ali Shadmani, who was leading the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters - effectively the country's war command centre. Iranians backed the state against Israel. Will it now reward them? Read More » Shadmani's daughter told Iranian media: 'My father was martyred in a direct confrontation with the Zionist regime.' 'Many assume he died in a random air strike, but he was assassinated in a targeted operation.' She added that after his death, Hebrew-language media celebrated the killing of the Islamic Republic's 'war commander' and 'closest military figure to the Supreme Leader.' Further revelations came from Fayaz Zahed, a member of the Government Media Council, during a televised interview. Zahed cited three separate incidents to highlight what he described as deep Israeli infiltration into Iran's security establishment. In the first, he said IRGC commander Hossein Salami warned the head of Iran's state broadcaster, Peyman Jebelli, at 1:30 am on 13 June, the first day of the war, that Israel was planning an attack that night. Salami was killed in an Israeli strike just 90 minutes later, suggesting that senior Iranian officials may have been aware of the impending attack but were unable - or failed - to prevent it. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi mourns next to the coffin of IRGC commander Hossein Salami, during a state funeral procession at Enghelab (Revolution) Square in Tehran on 28 June 2025 (AFP) In another case, Zahed questioned who had directed IRGC intelligence chief Mohammad Kazemi to the building that was struck by Israel two days later, implying that Mossad agents had deliberately led him into the trap. Zahed also referred to a third incident, in which nine Revolutionary Guard generals were reportedly gathered at the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He said Israel appeared to have known about the meeting in advance and waited until a tenth general arrived before launching the strike. 'The claim that nine people were gathered in a meeting at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and that the operation began only after one person's delayed arrival, is no trivial matter,' he said. 'The Ministry of Intelligence and IRGC intelligence must conduct a serious and thorough investigation. Without addressing the root of the problem, there's no guarantee it won't happen again. The culprits may still be in place, ready to finish what they started.' After ceasefire, Iran is preparing for the long war with Israel Read More » A key vulnerability, according to insiders, has been the influx of undocumented Afghan migrants into Iran. 'Afghans in Iran are not Israeli spies,' one source in government said, 'but the large number of undocumented individuals who crossed illegally, particularly after the Taliban took power, created a major opportunity for Israeli intelligence.' Former president Ebrahim Raisi's decision to open Iran's borders at the time is now being viewed in retrospect as a major security miscalculation. The source added that some Afghan migrants were unknowingly paid by Israeli operatives to assemble parts later used in drone attacks from within Iranian territory. 'They didn't know who they were working for - they were just following instructions,' he said. Infiltration from within One former security official described to MEE how Israel began penetrating Iran's intelligence infrastructure nearly two decades ago by exploiting 'ideological vulnerabilities' within the system. He pointed to the election of Ahmadinejad in 2005 as a turning point. 'That period saw a rupture in the intelligence apparatus. Many of the seasoned experts who had gained experience during the 1980s were pushed aside. A new generation - lacking field experience - took over. That significantly weakened us,' he said. He added that the early 2000s also saw the expansion of Israeli intelligence bases in neighbouring countries. Following the 2009 Green Movement protests - labelled 'sedition' by hardliners - many individuals advanced rapidly through the security ranks by demonstrating loyalty to the supreme leader and hostility toward the protests. 'That environment likely allowed foreign assets to rise through the system unnoticed,' the source said. He also criticised the ideological shift in Iran's security focus: 'The more ideological the system became, the more it prioritised cracking down on unveiled women and dissidents instead of foreign spies.' The source noted that, "The emergence of overlapping and competing security bodies further fragmented the intelligence landscape, leading to internal confusion and jurisdictional conflicts." Fallout and suspicion In the weeks following the war, the Ministry of Intelligence issued a statement declaring that it had thwarted assassination plots against 23 senior officials and arrested 20 Mossad agents. Meanwhile, one name has surfaced in the public's mind: Ali Shamkhani, the former head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and an adviser to the supreme leader, who was initially thought to have been killed in an Israeli strike. He later appeared on state television unharmed, claiming he had been trapped under rubble for hours - a statement that fuelled rumours and suspicion. 'The more ideological the system became, the more it prioritised cracking down on unveiled women and dissidents instead of foreign spies' - Former security official 'I looked closely at his face on TV,' said former MP Gholamali Jafarzadeh Imenabadi. 'There was no sign that he'd been trapped under rubble for three hours.' MP Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani further fuelled speculation, saying: 'There are serious ambiguities about Mr. Shamkhani's case. Some claim his son warned him to leave the building before the attack even began.' Notably, two of Shamkhani's aides have been arrested in the past decade on charges of spying for Israel. As the dust settles from Israel's most controversial operation in years, Iran's intelligence and political leaders face growing pressure to account for what many now believe was a deep and long-running infiltration - one that may not yet be over.
