Today (Saturday) the UAE denounced statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he said that the Gulf state could help in civil administration of the Gaza Strip, considering that he “does not have any legal capacity” to take this step.

Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in a post on the (X) platform that his country “denounces the statements of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about calling on the state to participate in civil administration of the Gaza Strip, which is under Israeli occupation.”

He continued, "The UAE stresses that the Israeli Prime Minister does not have any legal capacity to take this step, and it also refuses to be drawn into any plan aimed at providing cover for the Israeli presence in the Gaza Strip."

The UAE Foreign Minister added, "The UAE emphasizes that when a Palestinian government is formed that meets the hopes and aspirations of the brotherly Palestinian people and enjoys integrity, competence, and independence, the country will be fully prepared to provide all forms of support to that government."

Netanyahu said in a television interview last Thursday that “maybe we have to have some kind of civil administration by the people of Gaza who are not committed to our destruction, and perhaps with the help of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other countries that I think want to see stability and peace.”

The UAE signed a peace agreement with Israel under American sponsorship on September 15, 2020, becoming the third Arab country to officially establish public relations with Israel after Egypt and Jordan. Since then, the two countries have signed several agreements in various fields, and Israeli officials have visited the UAE.