UAE, Blinken discuss regional escalation, Gaza ceasefire

The UAE foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan discussed with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken diplomatic efforts to end the latest escalation in the Middle East, state news agency WAM reported.

During the phone call, the officials discussed securing a ceasefire in Gaza and increasing humanitarian aid to the enclave.

The UAE foreign minister “underscored the importance of putting an end to extremism and halting escalating tensions and violence in the region, which threaten regional and global peace and security,” the WAM statement added.

Escalations started mounting in the region when a strike killed 12 people in Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

While Hezbollah denied responsibility, Israel vowed a tough response to the Iran-backed militant group.

Tensions have amplified further with the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, which prompted calls for revenge amid Tehran’s proxies.