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UAE supports Egypt on Philadelphi corridor

The UAE has condemned and denounced in the strongest terms the offensive Israeli statements and commended the extensive mediation efforts undertaken by the Egypt, Qatar, and the US to reach a ceasefire and release hostages….reports Asian Lite News

The United Arab Emirates expressed its full solidarity with the Arab Republic of Egypt in addressing Israeli claims and allegations on the Philadelphi Corridor.

Furthermore, the UAE condemned and denounced in the strongest terms the offensive Israeli statements in this regard, which threaten regional stability and risk exacerbating the current situation.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) commended the extensive mediation efforts undertaken by the Arab Republic of Egypt, the State of Qatar, and the United States to reach a ceasefire and release hostages.

The UAE expressed hope that it would lead to an end to the war, safeguarding Palestinians from additional suffering and reinforcing pillars of stability that achieves sustainable peace in the region.

The Ministry called on Israeli authorities to de-escalate and avoid exacerbating tensions and instability in the region, affirming the UAE’s rejection of all practices that violate resolutions on international legitimacy and threaten further escalation.

The Ministry underscored the importance of supporting all regional and international efforts to advance the peace process in the Middle East, and end illegal practices that undermine the two-state solution, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

33 Palestinians killed in week-long attacks

Israel’s military operations across the West Bank, which began a week ago, have killed 33 Palestinians and wounded about 140 others, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The fatalities include 19 Palestinians in Jenin, four in Tubas, and seven in Tulkarm, all located in the northern West Bank, as well as three others in Hebron in the south, the Ramallah-based Ministry said on Wednesday in a statement.

Israeli forces continued their operation against the city of Jenin and its camp for the eighth consecutive day on Wednesday, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.

WAFA said the operation has caused widespread destruction of infrastructure, including water and electricity networks, as well as damage to civilian property, Xinhua news agency reported.

Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, said on Tuesday that Jenin had been ravaged by violence and destruction.

In a post on the social media platform X, Lazzarini called for the “immediate protection of civilians across the West Bank, including in the north,” and demanded that both the Israeli army and Palestinian armed groups “uphold the protection of civilians and provide access to assistance”.

Since August 28, Israel has been conducting a large-scale raid across the northern West Bank, stating that the operation aims to arrest wanted persons and prevent future attacks against Israel.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, more than 680 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks across the West Bank since the onset of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip last October.

The Israeli army last week launched its largest military operation in the northern West Bank in two decades, causing massive destruction in the area.

Jenin Mayor Nidal al-Obaidi on Wednesday declared the northern West Bank city a “disaster area” as the Israeli army continued its operations there.

“The Israeli army is continuing to destroy the infrastructure in Jenin and its camp,” he told Anadolu Agency.

Tension has been running high across the occupied West Bank as Israel pressed ahead with its brutal onslaught on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 40,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, since October 7 last year.

At least 685 people have since been killed and more than 5,700 injured by Israeli fire in the West Bank, according to the Health Ministry.

The escalation followed a landmark opinion by the International Court of Justice on July 19 that declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land unlawful and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

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Egypt Rejects Israeli Influence in Philadelphi Corridor

The Philadelphi Corridor is a 100-metre wide, 14-km-long buffer zone along the Egypt-Gaza border….reports Asian Lite News

Any Israeli attempt to control the Philadelphi Corridor along the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip is “unacceptable,” an Egyptian high-ranking official said.

“No new arrangements have been discussed with Israel regarding the Philadelphi Corridor on the border, and any Israeli unilateral moves in this regard are unacceptable,” the unnamed Egyptian official was quoted on Tuesday as saying by Egypt’s Al-Qahera News TV.

The remarks came a week after Diaa Rashwan, the chairman of Egypt’s State Information Service, warned that Israel’s retaking control of the Philadelphi Corridor would violate its 1979 peace treaty with Egypt, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Philadelphi Corridor is a 100-metre wide, 14-km-long buffer zone along the Egypt-Gaza border.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently expressed his desire to retake control of the corridor to ensure future demilitarisation of Gaza and prevent the alleged smuggling of weapons into Gaza through border tunnels.

Rashwan also denied last week the Israeli claims about the weapon smuggling from Egypt to Gaza.

The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza has been a major lifeline to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in the war-ravaged enclave, which has witnessed relentless Israeli bombings and a massive military offensive since October 7 last year.

The Israeli attacks in Gaza have so far killed 26,751 Palestinians and wounded 65,636 others, according to data released by Gaza’s Health Ministry on Tuesday.

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