UAE diplomat says 'irreversible' progress to Palestinian state needed for Gaza reconstruction

The United Arab Emirates' ambassador to the United Nations said on Monday that there must be an "irreversible progression" towards a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict for a regional commitment to reconstruction of Gaza.

Lana Nusseibeh said there was "a very strong" Arab consensus that such progress was needed for any contributions towards reconstruction in Gaza once the devastating war between Israel and Hamas is over.

"We cannot keep refunding and then see everything that we have built destroyed," she said at the World Government Summit in Dubai.

"There must be an irreversible progression to the two-state solution for regional partners to be on board with the reconstruction part... and that has to be something that has international guardrails and benchmarks and it has to have the support of the United States amongst other key actors," she said.

Gulf states have historically helped with reconstruction after previous conflicts.

However, the extent of destruction after four months of war in Gaza is unprecedented over decades of conflicts between Israel and the Palestinians, with more than 85% of the enclave's population driven from their homes.

The UAE is one of several Arab states that have established diplomatic ties with Israel over recent years.

Nusseibeh's remarks chime with the stance of Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries on the need for clear progress towards a Palestinian state.



Reuters