UAE, Jordan Discuss Cooperation, Situation in Gaza

The signing of agreements between the UAE and Jordan in the attendance of the UAE President and the Jordanian King. (WAM)
The signing of agreements between the UAE and Jordan in the attendance of the UAE President and the Jordanian King. (WAM)
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UAE, Jordan Discuss Cooperation, Situation in Gaza

The signing of agreements between the UAE and Jordan in the attendance of the UAE President and the Jordanian King. (WAM)
The signing of agreements between the UAE and Jordan in the attendance of the UAE President and the Jordanian King. (WAM)

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Jordanian King Abdullah II on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.

The two men discussed bilateral relations between the UAE and Jordan and explored the opportunities to bolster strategic cooperation mainly in economy, investment, industry, food security, and other vital areas.

They also addressed regional and international issues mainly the developments in the Gaza Strip and the efforts to respond to the worsening humanitarian situation.

They emphasized the need for urgent international action to stop the military escalation and provide full protection for civilians based on international humanitarian law.

They also underscored the importance of ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza by enabling international humanitarian organizations to perform their duty and opening safe and sustainable humanitarian corridors.

The two leaders stressed the need to spare the region the consequences of a new spiral of violence and work towards establishing a clear political horizon for a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace that ensures stability and security for all.

Moreover, they expressed their strong commitment to intensifying collaboration to bring about peace in the region, drawing from both countries' longstanding efforts to promote harmonious coexistence and regional collaboration for the benefit of all communities.

Sheikh Mohamed highlighted the shared vision of the UAE and Jordan, emphasizing their collective pursuit of sustainable development for their people.

He underscored the crucial role of enhancing peace, stability, and prosperity throughout the region.

In addition, they underscored that the extensive array of cooperative projects announced during the visit marks a significant advancement in the ambitious developmental partnership between the UAE and Jordan, promising prosperity and growth for both nations.

For his part, King Abdullah II underscored the critical importance of lifting the blockade on the Gaza Strip, highlighting the urgent need to address deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Strip.

Jordan’s King commended the UAE’s efforts in this regard, noting its proactive role in the UN Security Council to bring an end to the conflict in Gaza.

Moreover, the UAE and Jordan signed memoranda of understanding worth $6 billion in development, investment, and energy, aiming to enhance cooperation to achieve sustainable development and prosperity in both countries.

The MoUs include a memorandum between the Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADQ) and the Jordan Investment Fund to operate the Aqaba multi-purpose terminal and develop a waste-to-energy plant, in addition to funding a port community system (PCS) in Aqaba, a railway project, and a sewage treatment plant.

The second was signed between the investment ministries of the two countries.

The third MoU between the government of Jordan and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development entails funding development projects in Jordan at a value of $400 million, including $75 million to support the state budget, as well as the connectivity of three industrial and development cities to the natural gas pipeline.



Mediator Qatar Says Israel ‘Did Not Abide’ by Gaza Truce Deal

 Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, meets with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, left, at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, meets with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, left, at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)
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Mediator Qatar Says Israel ‘Did Not Abide’ by Gaza Truce Deal

 Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, meets with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, left, at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, meets with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, left, at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said Thursday that Israel had failed to respect January’s ceasefire agreement in Gaza, as he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

“As you know, we reached an agreement months ago, but unfortunately Israel did not abide by this agreement,” said the ruler of Qatar, a key mediator of the deal.

A truce in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Qatar with Egypt and the United States, came into force on January 19, largely halting more than 15 months of fighting triggered by Palestinian fighters’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

The initial phase of the truce ended in early March, with the two sides unable to agree on the next steps. Israel resumed air and ground attacks across the Gaza Strip on March 18 after earlier halting the entry of aid.

Israel said Wednesday that it had converted 30 percent of Gaza into a buffer zone in the widening offensive.

Sheikh Tamim said Qatar would “strive to bridge perspectives in order to reach an agreement that ends the suffering of the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza.”

Putin recognized Qatar’s “serious efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict” and called deaths in the conflict “a tragedy.”

“A long-term settlement can only be achieved on the basis of the UN resolution and first of all connected to the establishment of two states,” he added.

Israel’s renewed assault has so far killed at least 1,691 people in Gaza, the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory reported, bringing the overall toll since the war erupted to 51,065, most of them civilians.

Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.