Israel’s president visits UAE, asks for help to free hostages

By Alexander Cornwell

DUBAI (Reuters) – Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday asked United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to use his “political weight” to help free all of the Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.

Herzog made the request during a meeting with Sheikh Mohamed in Dubai, according to a statement issued by the Israeli president’s media office.

“The President appealed to his friend Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to employ his full political weight to promote and speed up the return home of the hostages,” it said.

Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial and which lacks executive powers, is in the Gulf state to attend the U.N. climate summit, known as COP28, which runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12.

It is his first overseas trip since the Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas gunmen which Israel has said killed around 1,200 Israelis and foreigners took about 240 hostage into Gaza.

The UAE is a regional power although fellow Gulf state Qatar, and Egypt, have been mediating between Israel and Hamas for the release of hostages, which has so far led to 99 Israelis and foreigners being freed.

Israel has released 210 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages.

The Israeli statement also said Israel had cooperated with the UAE so that the Gulf state could send aid into Gaza, build a field hospital at Gaza’s Rafah border and help with moving injured children from Gaza to receive medical care in the UAE.

A UAE state news agency report said the two presidents discussed relations between their countries and issues of mutual interest.

Herzog was invited to attend the summit by Sheikh Mohamed earlier this year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also invited to attend. Israel planned to send a large delegation of about 1,000 people, an official previously said.

However, the delegation would now be smaller, the official said, citing that some of those who were to take part in the delegation had been called up for reserve military duty.

The UAE is one of few Arab states that has official diplomatic ties with Israel. The Middle East nations have built close ties since official relations were established in 2020 under the United States-brokered Abraham Accords.

The UAE has condemned Hamas, which it sees as a threat to Middle East stability, for the Oct. 7 attack and called for the hostages to be released. Abu Dhabi has also condemned Israel’s bombardment and invasion of Gaza, which Palestinian health officials say has killed over 15,000 people.

However, the UAE intends to maintain its relationship with Israel, which has yielded billions of dollars in trade and close security cooperation, sources have said.

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