The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has cut off diplomatic coordination with Israel in response to the killing of seven aid workers by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in Gaza.
Israeli media has reported that Emirati officials confirmed the news, with officials describing ties between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi as the “darkest day” in relations between the two countries.
As per media reports, the Emirati foreign ministry has ‘expressed outrage’ with the Israeli ambassador Amir Hayek over the incident.
Efforts to address the crisis are underway, with Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, engaging in a phone call with his Emirati counterpart, Abdullah bin Zayed. Additionally, Director General of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Yaakov Blitshtein, met with Ambassador Mohammed Mahmoud Al-Khaja in an attempt to find a resolution.
Ambassador Al-Khaja described the current state of affairs as “the darkest day in the relations between the countries.”
Many in the international community have expressed outrage following the killing of the seven aid workers, with Spain calling Israel’s justification for the killing insufficient and unacceptable.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the killing of the workers was “unintentional”. But many have pointed out that Israel has taken no steps to protect civilians and humanitarian personnel since it launched its brutal war on Gaza.
