The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday strongly condemned Israel’s military operation in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, which resulted in the deaths of three Palestinians and the injury of dozens more.
In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the operation was “a flagrant violation of international law and humanitarian norms.” The statement called on Israel to “immediately halt its military operations and respect the sanctity of Palestinian lives.”
The UAE’s condemnation of the Jenin operation is significant because it is the first time that the country has publicly criticized Israel’s military actions in the West Bank since it normalized relations with Israel in 2020. The UAE has also been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian Authority and has called for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Jenin refugee camp has been a frequent target of Israeli military operations in recent years. In May 2021, Israeli forces killed 11 Palestinians in the camp during an operation that was launched in response to a wave of Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza.
The latest Israeli operation in Jenin came after a series of deadly attacks in Israel carried out by Palestinians from the West Bank. In one of the attacks, a gunman killed three people in a Tel Aviv bar.
The Israeli military has said that the Jenin operation was aimed at arresting Palestinian militants who were responsible for the recent attacks. However, the operation has been condemned by Palestinians and human rights groups, who say that it was carried out in a disproportionate and excessive manner.
The UAE’s condemnation of the Jenin operation is a sign that the country is willing to take a more independent stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It remains to be seen whether the UAE will continue to criticize Israel’s military actions in the West Bank, but its latest statement is a significant development.