UAE shows willingness to add up efforts towards Israel-Palestine peace

Dubai: The UAE on Sunday expressed its readiness to facilitate peace efforts in the Israel-Palestine conflict and maintain a ceasefire in Gaza, the state-run news agency WAM quoted the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

In a telephonic conversation with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Abu Dhabi CP lauded Egypt's efforts of brokering a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, after 11 days of conflict which started on May 10 and indicated UAE's willingness to support the peace process.

Sheikh Mohamed highlighted "the need for additional efforts, especially by Israeli and Palestinian leaders, stressing that the UAE is ready to work with all parties to maintain the ceasefire and explore new paths to reduce escalation and achieve peace," WAM said.

Experts say that UAE's normalisation deal with Israel, signed last September, has not prevented the UAE from working for the Palestinian cause. Earlier, the Emirates had called on all international parties at the UN to take immediate steps to a ceasefire while expressing concern over extremely violent conflicts in Israel and Palestine.

In view of the border sharing with Gaza, Egypt can contribute a great deal in preserving the peace since it has brokered a truce in the conflicts earlier.

Gaza Ministry stats show that at least 248 Palestinians, including 66 children, were killed and another 1,910 people injured during Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. The retaliation strikes from Hamas killed 12 people in Israel.

The Israel-Palestine discord has been going in and around for decades with major international bodies urging for a two-state solution. The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state while Israel had long demanded that Jerusalem be owned by Israel and that East Jerusalem be made their capital, since 1967.