Following the "historic agreement", Palestine calls for an "urgent" meeting

Shafaq News / Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Thursday for an "urgent meeting" of his advisors to discuss the agreement of the Israeli-Emirati full normalization of relations

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said that Abbas called for an "urgent meeting to be followed by a statement on the American-Emirati-Israeli declaration, which was announced Thursday evening."

A statement issued by a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday evening that Abbas rejects and denounces the agreement between the UAE and Israel.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, an advisor to Abbas, said that in the official statement, "the Palestinian leadership announces its rejection and condemnation of the surprising American, Israeli, and Emirati announcement, and that there is a hidden plan to extend Israeli sovereignty over the Palestinian territories."

He added that the agreement is "a betrayal of Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa and the Palestinian cause."

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced the conclusion of a "historic" peace agreement between Israel and the UAE, which he said would contribute to advancing the peace process in the Middle East.

In a surprise announcement at the White House after a three-way phone call with Israeli and Emirati leaders, Mr. Trump said the deal would lead to greater cooperation on investment, tourism, security, technology, energy and other areas while the two countries move to allow regular direct passenger flights, open embassies and trade ambassadors for the first time.

“This deal is a significant step towards building a more peaceful, secure and prosperous Middle East,” Trump told reporters in a hastily arranged event in the Oval Office. “Now that the ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates’ lead.”

The agreement, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, broke new ground in Israel’s outreach to Gulf Arab countries with a common fear of Iran’s regional influence.

While the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, tweeted, "During a call with President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, an agreement was reached to stop further Israeli annexation of Palestinian territories. The UAE and Israel also agreed to cooperate and seta roadmap towards establishing a bilateral relationship".

For his part, the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi commented today, Thursday, on the agreement and said, "I followed up with great interest and appreciation the joint statement between the US, UAE and Israel on the agreement to stop Israel's annexation of Palestinian lands, and taking steps to bring peace to the Middle East as well. I value the efforts of those in charge of this agreement to achieve prosperity and stability for our region".