The rhetoric is rising in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, just two weeks before dozens of nations are expected to back a Saudi-French plan to recognize a Palestinian state on Sept. 22. A senior Emirati official said last week that an Israeli plan to annex parts of the West Bank would betray the spirit of the Abraham Accords. The comment was followed by a series of UAE statements critical of Israel’s policies.
On Sunday, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Jordan’s King Abdullah II met in Abu Dhabi and opposed any plans to annex the West Bank or other Palestinian territories, warning that settlement expansion would “pose a threat to regional peace, security, and stability.” Abu Dhabi also backed Cairo’s opposition to what it sees as an Israeli attempt to push Gazans into Egypt.
US President Donald Trump, also on Sunday, warned Hamas to accept a deal to release Israeli hostages and end the war, saying he was “working on a solution that may be very good.” Meanwhile, Israel’s cabinet stepped back from discussing potential annexation of the West Bank. With the largely symbolic recognition of a Palestinian state approaching, the moment could open a window for a grand bargain — or trigger a deeper breakdown in Israeli-Arab relations.