On March 25, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and former U.S. President Donald Trump spoke about efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.
The call came just days after Israel resumed its military offensive, shattering a fragile two-month truce. Since then, nearly 700 people, mostly women and children, have been killed, according to Palestinian officials.
Aid and Two-State Solution on the Table
During the conversation, the UAE leader stressed the need for urgent humanitarian aid to Gaza residents and reaffirmed support for a two-state solution—a long-standing but elusive peace plan for Israel and Palestine.
This isn’t the first time Trump has weighed in on Gaza; earlier this year, he proposed a controversial plan to displace Palestinians and turn the region into a luxury “Middle East Riviera,” which sparked global backlash.
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Instead of Trump’s vision, Arab states like the UAE have backed a $53 billion Egyptian-led reconstruction plan that avoids displacing Palestinians. Anwar Gargash, a top UAE diplomat, has made it clear: rebuilding Gaza is impossible without a clear path to a two-state solution.
The UAE is one of the few Arab nations that normalized relations with Israel in 2020, thanks to U.S.-brokered deals under Trump. Yet, as violence flares again, the world watches to see if diplomacy can prevail.
The Human Cost
The conflict, which began after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, has claimed over 50,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza health authorities. Israel says Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages. With no end in sight, the stakes have never been higher.
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