'Time for independent Palestinian state' says UAE's top diplomat after Gaza ceasefire

As a long awaited ceasefire came into effect, a top official in the UAE renewed calls for an independent Palestinian state.

"Months of death and devastation in Gaza are finally over. Let us pray for peace," said Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to the UAE President as images emerged of Gazans hugging, shouting victory slogans, and sharing tearful moments after a 15-month-long war came to a halt.

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The truce, however, came with a snag. Israel delayed its implementation by nearly three hours, as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said the ceasefire would not take effect till Hamas handed over the hostage list, which was received two hours after deadline. During the delay, Israel rained down last-minute attacks, further increasing the death toll, which had already exceeded 46,913 people.

Expressing frustration with how international media portrayed the death toll, Gargash remarked, "Most infuriating was hearing, 'according to the Gaza health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians,' as if war & bombings do."

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The UAE has always stood firm in its stance for the rights of the Palestinian people, and the need for a two-state solution.

Last year, Dr Gargash called for "a clear roadmap for establishing a Palestinian state", and added that the long-standing policy of containment has "failed miserably" in the conflict.

The top diplomat had reiterated the need for a two-state solution on multiple occasions. Just over a month into the war, in 2023, he called on the "need to go back to Israeli and Palestinian states living side by side."

"We need to be very frank with the Israelis: What are the borders that you are accepting?", he said at an event in 2023, addressing government officials and leaders from all over the world.

'Impossible demands'

As leaders discussed the conflict in bilateral talks and United Nations meetings, the UAE reminded the world that "even wars have rules."

When the Gaza war spread to Lebanon in the second half of 2024, UAE called on parties to respect international humanitarian law, during a general debate at the UN.

Slamming the evacuation order of over a million people from the Gaza Strip as "impossible demand that fails to comply with international law", Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE's Permanent Representative to the UN, reiterated calls for investigations into attacks on Al Ahli Baptist Hospital.

Hospitals and medical personnel must never be the target of an attack, she added.

In 2024, as hospitals continued to be targeted, the Emirates condemned "serious violations" and expressed concern over the risk of death facing civilians in Gaza, Mohamed Abushahab, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN said.

Solving the crisis

The UAE has called for relevant UN resolutions to be seen through to establish a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Weeks before the ceasefire came into effect, in a conversation with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, the UAE Foreign Minister emphasised that its commitment to supporting the Palestinian people will not waver.

A historic UAE-led resolution supporting Palestine's bid for membership in the UN was adopted in early 2024. While it does not give the Palestinians full UN membership, and simply recognises them as qualified to join, it is a "turning point in the Palestinian question and is vitally important for the future of all Palestinian," the UAE Mission to the UN said.

From the time the conflict broke out until November 2024, the UAE has contributed $828 million in aid, topping the list of donors. Nearly 30,000 tonnes of aid have made its way from UAE into Gaza by land till date, with the largest phase of its humanitarian campaign rolling out on January 18, 2025, just one day before the ceasefire.

The UAE's field hospital in Gaza has treated 48,704 injured individuals. A floating hospital in Egypt provides services to injured Palestinians, performing complex surgeries, fitting artificial limbs and providing daily medical care.

Rebuilding Gaza

Schools, mosques have been decimated; homes reduced to mere bricks, and much of the area is in ruins. Two-thirds of Gaza's pre-war structures - over 170,000 buildings - have been damaged or flattened, according to UN satellite data (UNOSAT) in December.

Billions of dollars would be needed to rebuild the area, a process that may take up to 14 years according to a UN estimate from April 2024.

With UAE's construction expertise and financial aid, experts have predicted a central role for the country in the reconstruction process. Along with the government, businesses such as construction companies can help develop the community but must be guided by international organisations and Palestinians themselves to avoid "skewing local dynamics", experts said.

pooja@khaleejtimes.com

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