The United Arab Emirates (UAE) plans to maintain diplomatic relations with Israel despite international outcry over the growing number of people killed in the Gaza conflict.
The UAE hopes to exert some moderating influence on the Israeli campaign while safeguarding its own interests, four sources familiar with UAE government policy told Reuters.
Abu Dhabi became the most prominent Arab nation to establish diplomatic ties with Israel in 30 years under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020. That paved the way for other Arab states to forge their own ties with Israel by breaking a taboo on normalising relations without the creation of a Palestinian state.
Despite the closer economic and security ties with Israel that have been established over the past three years, Abu Dhabi has had no apparent success in containing the offensive in Gaza.