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Palestinian Authority Restores Ambassadors to UAE, Bahrain

Palestinian PM Mohammad Shtayyeh during a virtual dialogue session with the US Council on Foreign Relations on Tuesday, November 17, 2020. (WAFA)
Palestinian PM Mohammad Shtayyeh during a virtual dialogue session with the US Council on Foreign Relations on Tuesday, November 17, 2020. (WAFA)
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Palestinian Authority Restores Ambassadors to UAE, Bahrain

Palestinian PM Mohammad Shtayyeh during a virtual dialogue session with the US Council on Foreign Relations on Tuesday, November 17, 2020. (WAFA)
Palestinian PM Mohammad Shtayyeh during a virtual dialogue session with the US Council on Foreign Relations on Tuesday, November 17, 2020. (WAFA)

The Palestinian Authority is planning to resend its ambassadors back to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, in a second major step after restoring all relations with Israel since Joe Biden's win in the US presidential elections.

On August 13 and Sep. 11, the PA recalled its ambassadors from the UAE and Bahrain, respectively, in protest at the Gulf countries’ US-brokered deals establishing ties with Israel.

It described these ties as “betrayal to Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Palestinian cause and a declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”

The decision to resend the ambassadors hasn’t come into effect yet, a Palestinian informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat, noting that it is part of the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s tendency to alter policies and prepare the atmosphere for the new US administration to start a new political path.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki received on Thursday Ambassador to the UAE Essam Masalha in the ministry’s headquarters.

They discussed the embassy’s affairs in Abu Dhabi and the consulate general in Dubai, as well as the conditions of the community and the consular facilities provided to it during the pandemic, a statement read.

They also discussed the general political situation and the leadership’s efforts to achieve reconciliation and consensus on the elections, as well as Israel’s recent approval of the reference to the agreements signed with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

The statement affirmed that another meeting will be held next week between the two officials to complete the talks.

The PA seems to be preparing to officially announce the return of its ambassadors to avoid immediate popular criticism.

This development came shortly after the PA announced it will renew its security and civil coordination with Israel, which was severed six months ago over Israel’s plans to apply sovereignty over parts of the West Bank and the Jordan Valley, which have been put on hold since the signing of the normalization pacts.

The Palestinians have had a difficult relationship with US President Donald Trump, who cut aid to the West Bank and Gaza, expelled the Palestinian envoy in Washington, and presented a peace plan that the Palestinians believed granted too many concessions to Israel.

The PA has boycotted Trump’s administration since 2017 when he announced that he would move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Biden, for his part, has opposed parts of Trump’s peace plan and pledged to undo some of the Trump-era policies most rejected by the Palestinians.

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Arab World

Israeli Concerns over Egypt’s Jabbar 150 Drone

The Egyptian-made Jabbar 150 drone, produced by Amstone International Group, on display at the EDEX defense exhibition on Dec. 3, 2025 (Reuters)
The Egyptian-made Jabbar 150 drone, produced by Amstone International Group, on display at the EDEX defense exhibition on Dec. 3, 2025 (Reuters)
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Israeli Concerns over Egypt’s Jabbar 150 Drone

The Egyptian-made Jabbar 150 drone, produced by Amstone International Group, on display at the EDEX defense exhibition on Dec. 3, 2025 (Reuters)
The Egyptian-made Jabbar 150 drone, produced by Amstone International Group, on display at the EDEX defense exhibition on Dec. 3, 2025 (Reuters)

Israeli media has recently raised concern over the Jabbar 150 drone, the latest Egyptian weapons system, despite having been unveiled nearly six months ago.

Israeli news platform Natziv Net reported Tuesday that the unveiling of the domestically produced drone at the Egypt Defense Expo (EDEX) in Cairo in December 2025 has become a growing source of concern within Israel’s security establishment.

According to the report, Israeli concerns center on the drone’s operational capabilities rather than the origins of its technology.

The Jabbar 150 reportedly has a range of up to 1,500 kilometers, can carry a warhead weighing about 50 kilograms, and may be powered by either a piston or jet engine, giving Egypt a long-range strike capability.

The platform also highlighted the integration of real-time targeting systems in some variants through onboard cameras, allowing operators to identify and engage targets during flight rather than relying solely on satellite navigation.

Egyptian authorities have not officially commented on the reports. Egyptian media, however, previously described the Jabbar 150 as a high-performance attack drone capable of flying at speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour and remaining airborne for nearly 10 hours. The aircraft is also said to be the first in a family of drones that will include the Jabbar 200 and Jabbar 250.

Retired Maj. Gen. Samir Farag, an Egyptian military and strategic affairs expert, said Egypt has every right to develop its armed forces and that its advanced military capabilities are intended to protect national security.

Ahmed Fouad Anwar, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and an expert in Israeli affairs, said Egypt’s military strength has steadily grown since President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has taken office in 2014.

“That is what concerns Israel,” Anwar said. “Egypt’s priority is its own security, and it will continue to maintain credible deterrent capabilities.”

Israeli scrutiny of Egypt’s military modernization has intensified since the outbreak of the Gaza war. Israeli newspaper Maariv recently claimed that US intelligence had detected signs of expanding military cooperation between Egypt and Türkiye that could affect regional power balances.

Farag expects such rhetoric to increase ahead of Israeli elections, arguing that some political figures, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, may seek to portray Egypt as a potential threat for domestic political gain.

Anwar believes Israeli pressure campaigns will continue, particularly as Egypt hosts Gaza ceasefire negotiations, warning that such reports risk unnecessarily heightening tensions between the two countries.

Arab World

Houthis Use ‘Espionage’ Charges against Relief Agencies to Cripple Humanitarian Aid in Yemen

A Houthi fighter stands guard during a sectarian rally in Sanaa, Yemen, 04 June 2026. (EPA)
A Houthi fighter stands guard during a sectarian rally in Sanaa, Yemen, 04 June 2026. (EPA)
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Houthis Use ‘Espionage’ Charges against Relief Agencies to Cripple Humanitarian Aid in Yemen

A Houthi fighter stands guard during a sectarian rally in Sanaa, Yemen, 04 June 2026. (EPA)
A Houthi fighter stands guard during a sectarian rally in Sanaa, Yemen, 04 June 2026. (EPA)

The Iran-backed Houthi group’s campaign against United Nations personnel and aid workers has become a major factor deepening Yemen’s humanitarian crisis and hindering relief efforts even as Houthi-controlled parts of the country edge toward catastrophic levels of hunger and millions rely on humanitarian assistance to survive.

After years of war and economic collapse, humanitarian operations in Houthi-held areas face mounting challenges. Increasing restrictions and persistent interference in the work of international and local organizations have culminated in a sweeping crackdown that has seen dozens of aid workers detained on alleged security-related charges, including espionage.

For years, humanitarian aid has served as a lifeline for millions of people in northern Yemen. Yet the arrests and restrictions have disrupted large segments of relief operations, worsening food insecurity in regions already burdened by poverty, collapsing livelihoods and growing humanitarian needs.

Before the latest escalation, three million people in Houthi-controlled areas were receiving regular food aid despite a sharp decline in international funding for Yemen. However, disputes over aid-distribution mechanisms and Houthi interference in humanitarian programs had already forced many organizations to scale back their activities.

The situation worsened following raids on UN offices and several international and local organizations in Sanaa and other areas under Houthi control. In response, many agencies reduced their operations or suspended them altogether, depriving millions of vulnerable Yemenis of life-saving help.

Humanitarian workers say the restrictions have made it increasingly difficult to reach the most vulnerable communities at a time when living conditions continue to deteriorate and food insecurity is spreading.

Aid workers under pressure

International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, said that the Houthis have weaponized espionage allegations to suppress humanitarian workers and justify the detention of more than 100 aid personnel over the past two years.

According to these groups, the continued detention of humanitarian staff has affected not only the detainees and their families but also the ability of aid agencies to deliver assistance and maintain essential programs, further exacerbating the crisis.

Only a handful of detainees have been released, while dozens of UN employees and humanitarian workers are still in custody amid growing concerns about their welfare and the future of aid operations in Houthi-held territories.

Rights groups have linked the arrest campaign to worsening food insecurity in northern Yemen, citing repeated warnings from UN agencies about rising levels of acute hunger.

Humanitarian organizations have reported pockets of famine-like conditions in some areas, while millions of families face mounting difficulties accessing food and basic services, raising the risk of more severe hunger and malnutrition.

Fears for detainees

Concerns over the fate of the detained aid workers have intensified given the Houthis’ record of human rights abuses against detainees, particularly after a World Food Program employee died in Houthi custody in February 2025.

Human rights organizations said many detainees have been subjected to prolonged enforced disappearance and held without due process. Some have been denied medical care and prevented from communicating with lawyers or family members.

The groups have called on the United Nations and the international community to take a firmer stance, pressing the Houthis to immediately release all detainees, ensure access to medical care and legal representation, and lift restrictions on humanitarian organizations so assistance can reach those in need.

Arab World

British Army: Guards on Cargo Ship off Yemen’s Aden Exchange Fire with Gunmen in Small Boat

27 January 2024, Yemen, Gulf of Aden: The Marlin Luanda vessel on fire in the Gulf of Aden after it was reportedly struck by an anti-ship missile fired from a Houthi controlled area of Yemen. (Indian Navy via ZUMA Wire/dpa)
27 January 2024, Yemen, Gulf of Aden: The Marlin Luanda vessel on fire in the Gulf of Aden after it was reportedly struck by an anti-ship missile fired from a Houthi controlled area of Yemen. (Indian Navy via ZUMA Wire/dpa)
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British Army: Guards on Cargo Ship off Yemen’s Aden Exchange Fire with Gunmen in Small Boat

27 January 2024, Yemen, Gulf of Aden: The Marlin Luanda vessel on fire in the Gulf of Aden after it was reportedly struck by an anti-ship missile fired from a Houthi controlled area of Yemen. (Indian Navy via ZUMA Wire/dpa)
27 January 2024, Yemen, Gulf of Aden: The Marlin Luanda vessel on fire in the Gulf of Aden after it was reportedly struck by an anti-ship missile fired from a Houthi controlled area of Yemen. (Indian Navy via ZUMA Wire/dpa)

Guards on board a cargo ship off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden exchanged fire Wednesday with gunmen in a small boat on Wednesday, the British military said.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said the guards managed to drive the gunmen off.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants have said they will resume their attacks against Israel-affiliated ships moving through the Red Sea. Meanwhile, Somali pirates have also become more active in the region.