The UAE is co-ordinating with all relevant authorities to accelerate aid delivery to Gaza in the coming days, Minister of State for International Co-operation Reem Al Hashimy told The National on Tuesday.
Ms Al Hashimy was speaking hours after US President Donald Trump announced the war in Gaza was over, as he joined regional leaders in Egypt to sign a Middle East peace document.
The signing ceremony was held as Hamas handed over 20 Israeli hostages and the remains of four others, while Israel released around 2,000 Palestinian detainees from its prisons as part of a comprehensive US-sponsored ceasefire deal following two years of war.
“Today marks the beginning of a vital journey, one that seeks to ease the suffering of the innocent and open the long-awaited door to a just and lasting peace,” Ms Al Hashimy told The National.
“The UAE stands ready to continue playing a proactive and constructive role, working closely with all partners to translate this moment of hope into meaningful progress on the ground.
“Our most urgent priority is to ensure that life-saving aid flows swiftly and safely to those who have endured unimaginable pain. The UAE is in active co-ordination with all relevant authorities to accelerate the delivery of substantial humanitarian assistance into Gaza in the coming days.”
The UAE has provided more than 1.8$ billion in aid − accounting for more than 44 per cent of all humanitarian assistance delivered to Gaza and a reflection of the country's “steadfast and enduring commitment to the Palestinian people”, said Ms Al Hashimy.
Aid entering Gaza has been heavily restricted by the Israeli army, which is still deployed in areas of the coastal Strip. The UN has declared famine in parts of the Palestinian territories, and aid donors are expecting a surge of aid in the coming days as part of the ceasefire deal.
“We stand fully prepared to deploy our resources and expertise to ensure that relief reaches every family in need, guided by our commitment to humanity and peace,” said Ms Al Hashimy, who has been heavily involved in co-ordinating aid flow to Gaza through land, air and sea.
The greatest dream
Monday’s summit marked the best hope yet that the two-year Gaza war is over, after more than 67,800 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks. This followed a Hamas-led attack on Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 240 abducted.
Several Middle Eastern and European leaders attended. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, represented the UAE.
Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, on Tuesday shared his reflections on Mr Trump declaring the Gaza war over.
With Gaza's reconstruction now the focus, Dr Gargash wrote on X: “President Donald Trump deserves recognition, as he halted the war in Gaza, supported the peace plan, and made it the official American initiative, rallying the international community around it in Sharm El Sheikh.
“From this point, a new phase of discussions and details begins, after the war of extermination has ended and the region has been saved from the consequences of an unending escalation.”
Last week, Dr Gargash issued an emotional plea calling for peace to bring “tranquility to a land exhausted by war”.
“After two years of pain and suffering and years of injustice, oppression, and marginalisation, peace remains the greatest dream for the people of Gaza,” he wrote on X.
“A peace that restores life to children, hope to mothers and tranquility to a land exhausted by wars.
“The time has come for the cannons to fall silent and the voices of mercy and reason to rise, and the time has come for a political horizon that goes beyond bandaging wounds toward a permanent solution based on truth, justice and dignity for Palestine.”
