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On Thursday, opposition leader Yair Lapid convened with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed to discuss initiatives aimed at securing a hostage release agreement. Lapid emphasized the urgent priority of repatriating the hostages, highlighting the potential influence of regional nations on the negotiation process.
According to reports from the Israeli public broadcaster Kann News, opposition leader Yair Lapid met with the United Arab Emirates’ Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
During the meeting, Lapid reportedly stated that countries in the region could play a role in securing a deal for the release of Israeli captives held by Palestinian groups. He also expressed Israel’s interest in pursuing political and economic cooperation with the UAE and other Arab nations.
The meeting between the Israeli opposition leader and the UAE’s top diplomat comes over two years after the UAE, along with Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco, signed the Abraham Accords in 2020. The US-mediated agreement paved the way for these Arab countries to normalize ties with Israel.
Lapid’s outreach to the UAE leadership highlights the growing relations between Israel and Gulf Arab states, which have been fostered by the Abraham Accords. The discussions also touched upon regional security issues and the possibility of leveraging diplomatic channels to resolve the issue of Israelis held captive by Palestinian factions.