DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates summoned the Israeli ambassador on Friday over Israel’s attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar, Israeli broadcaster KAN reported, in another sign of strain between the two countries with close economic and defence ties.
Even before Tuesday’s strike on the Qatari capital Doha, relations between Abu Dhabi and Israel’s far-right government had been uneasy over a planned Israeli annexation of the West Bank, which the UAE said would constitute a ‘red line’.
Israel’s attempt to kill Hamas political leaders prompted international condemnation, but on Wednesday an unrepentant Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin warned Qatar to either expel Hamas officials or “bring them to justice, because if you don’t, we will”.
The UAE, the most prominent Arab country to normalise ties with Israel in 30 years, condemned Netanyahu’s remarks as “hostile”, as its President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan toured Gulf Arab countries aimed at coordinating positions on the Israeli attack.
There was no immediate comment from the UAE and Israeli foreign ministries on the KAN report.
The Doha attack was especially sensitive because Qatar has been hosting and mediating negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire in the Gaza war.
Doha will host an emergency Arab-Islamic summit this Sunday and Monday to discuss the Israeli attack.
The conflict was triggered by a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Hamas killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and about 251 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. More than 64,000 people, also mostly civilians, have since been killed during the war, according to local health authorities.
UAE, a major oil producer and regional trade and commerce hub with diplomatic sway across the Middle East, signed a U.S.-brokered normalisation agreement with Israel under the Abraham Accords in 2020, which paved the way for close economic and security ties including defence cooperation.
