The United Arab Emirates warned the Israeli government that annexing the West Bank would be a “red line” for it, which would “end the vision of regional integration,” noting that the principles of the Abraham Accords have never been more threatened than they are today. The UAE reaffirmed its commitment to the two-state solution to advance peace in the region.

Lana Nusseibeh, UAE Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs, told The Times of Israel and Reuters in interviews at the UAE Foreign Ministry headquarters in Abu Dhabi: “Annexation will be a red line for my government, which means there can be no lasting peace.” She warned that such a decision “will kill the idea of regional integration and sound the death knell for the two-state solution.” She added that from the start, the agreements were seen as a means to continue supporting the Palestinian people and their legitimate aspiration to establish an independent state. She noted that proposals to annex parts of the West Bank, reportedly under discussion within the Israeli government, aim, in the words of an Israeli minister, to “bury the idea of a Palestinian state.”

Nusseibeh also sent a message to the U.S. administration, saying: “We believe President Trump and his administration have many tools to lead the initiative for broader Israeli integration in the region.” She expressed confidence that President Trump would not allow extremists and radicals to distort, threaten, or undermine the principles of the Abraham Accords, a cornerstone of his legacy. She considered that Netanyahu’s government’s annexation of the West Bank would mean a de facto rejection of the Abraham Accords, emphasizing that “this option must be directly presented to the Israeli people,” warning of the losses from taking this step.

Nusseibeh pointed out that Arab countries remain open to normalizing relations with Israel, but not only on the condition of retracting annexation plans, but also with Israel agreeing to establish a reliable and irreversible path toward a future Palestinian state.

She added: “In every Arab capital we visit, the idea of regional integration remains possible, but annexation to appease some extremist elements in Israel will cancel it.” She said: “Over the past two years, our view has been that the vision of the Abraham Accords remains intact and that extremists should not be allowed to dictate the region’s path.” Yet, with Israel taking increasing steps to entrench its presence in the West Bank and Gaza, she said: “We all in the Middle East feel we are heading toward a point of no return.” She warned: “The principles of the Abraham Accords — prosperity, coexistence, tolerance, integration, and stability — have never seemed more threatened than they are today.” She continued: “There is an outstretched hand, despite all this misery, in the region to Israel. But annexation will pull that hand away.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to the UAE President, stressed that the UAE’s message is clear: annexation of Palestinian lands is a red line, reaffirming commitment to the two-state solution to advance peace. Gargash tweeted in English on X platform on Wednesday: “In these difficult times, the UAE sends a clear message: annexation is a red line, and peace through the two-state solution must remain the way forward.” He highlighted a Times of Israel headline: “UAE warns Israel: West Bank annexation a ‘red line’ that would ‘end regional integration.'”

Right-wing Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for annexing “all open areas” of the land, saying the “supreme principle of sovereignty… is the slogan: maximum land with minimum (Palestinian) population.” He added that the settlement administration of the Ministry of Defense has recently drawn maps imposing Israeli sovereignty on about 82% of the West Bank.

In a statement, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned Smotrich’s statements calling for deepening settlements and annexing the West Bank, urging the international community to impose sanctions on Israel. The ministry considered these inciting positions a direct threat to the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state according to the two-state solution principle, as well as public incitement against the Palestinian Authority and the rights of the Palestinian people to their land. Jordan also condemned Smotrich’s statements, considering them “a serious and rejected escalation,” stressing that “Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian land.”

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League, affirmed in his speech at the opening session of the 116th Arab Economic and Social Council in Cairo that preserving the Palestinian state project is the most important issue for the coming phase, facing Israel’s attempts to erase it through displacement and land seizure.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his call on Hamas to release all hostages, noting that the Israeli war on Gaza would end if that happened. He posted on Truth Social: “Tell Hamas to immediately return all 20 hostages (not two or five or seven!), and things will change quickly. The war will end!”