UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah called on Sunday for intensifying international efforts to stop the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, which have been witnessing an ongoing Israeli war since October 2023.

This came during talks between the two Gulf leaders, at Bayan Palace in the Kuwaiti capital, as part of an open-ended state visit that the UAE President began to Kuwait on Sunday, according to the official UAE news agency, WAM.

The agency explained that the two sides "discussed fraternal relations and paths for developing cooperation and joint work in various fields, in a way that serves mutual interests."

The two sides stressed their "keenness to continue building on the deep-rooted historical relations that unite the two countries and their peoples."

During the talks session, they reviewed "developments on the regional and international arenas, most notably the situation in the Middle East, especially the developments in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon," according to WAM.

President bin Zayed and Prince Mishaal stressed "the importance of intensifying international efforts to cease fire in the Gaza Strip and the top priority of providing full protection for civilians in accordance with the rules of international humanitarian law, and pushing joint efforts to respond to the humanitarian conditions experienced by the population."

They stressed "the UAE and Kuwait's firm stance towards preserving Lebanon's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and their support for the brotherly Lebanese people in various circumstances."

They called for "urgent international action to stop the fire in Lebanon and provide protection for civilians there," according to the Emirati agency.

The two leaders stressed the "need to intensify efforts to prevent the expansion of the conflict in the Middle East region and spare it the consequences of new crises that threaten its security and stability."