The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has threatened to stop its infrastructure and investments in the territory of Gaza if the terrorist outfit Hamas fails to reach a ceasefire agreement with Israel. The development comes amidst the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel.
As per reports, the UAE has been in touch with Hamas about various projects, operating in the Gaza strip, for the betterment of the lives of people in the Gaza strip. A senior official from the Arab nation said, “We are still ready and willing to promote civil projects in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority and under UN management (in Gaza), but our necessary condition is calm.”
The official further stated that the residents of the Gaza strip will be doomed to a life of suffering if Hamas failed to maintain ‘calm.’ “Its (Hamas) leaders must understand that their policies are first and foremost hurting the people of Gaza,” he added. It must be mentioned that last year, the United States under the Donald Trump administration has helped to broker a peace deal between UAE and Israel in the form of ‘Abraham Accords.’
The move was criticised by the political leaders in Palestine, following which UAE cut down on its funds for the Palestinian refugees. One of the key projects funded by the UAE in the Gaza strip is said to be energy-related, given that the territory suffers from severe power outages. Reportedly, residents of Gaza only receive electricity about 16 hours a day on average. Following the escalation between Hamas and the State of Israel, the power availability for the Gaza residents has gone down to 5 hours a day. Earlier, a defense official from the Jewish State had informed that Gaza might run out of fuel.
The ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict
The hostilities between the Jewish nation and its nemesis Hamas are at an all-time high, especially after the intense aerial exchanges that started on the evening of May 11 and continued well past midnight. On May 11, Palestinian terrorist organisation Hamas unleashed massive airstrikes against Israel, firing hundreds of rockets inside the country.
The country’s air defence system known as the Iron Dome, intercepted the continuous barrage of rockets targeting Tel Aviv and central Israel Tuesday evening. Israel, in response, stepped up its attacks on the Palestinian terror group Hamas inside Gaza Strip. The Israel Defence Forces carried out airstrikes on targets in Gaza in response to continued attacks by Hamas against Israel. The death toll in the Gaza strip has risen to 181 by May 16. At the same time, 20 high-profile terrorists associated with Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad have been neutralised.
While debunking the anti-Israeli propaganda, Israel Defence Forces remarked, “The fact that there aren’t more casualties in Israel does not mean that Hamas isn’t trying to kill Israeli civilians. It simply means that the IDF is preventing them from doing so at an incredible level. The Iron Dome Aerial Defense System and easily accessible bomb shelters all over Israel have saved thousands of lives.” It concluded, “IDF troops will continue to work 24/7 to defend Israeli civilians at the highest level possible and minimize Gazan casualties wherever possible.”
