UAE To Provide $3 M Funding To Rebuild Palestinian Town Of Huwara

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has vowed to aid the reconstruction of the West Bank village of Huwara, which was stormed by Israeli forces late last month.

State media announced Thursday that the president ordered the provision of $3 million to fund the rebuilding of the town in support of the Palestinian people, France24 reported, citing AFP.

The initiative is in line with the UAE's humanitarian efforts to redevelop the affected part of the Western Asian country, following the deadly raids instigated by Israeli forces last month.

The financial aid will be carried out by the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) in partnership with the Emirati-Palestinian Friendship Club. The initiative was officially announced on Thursday after the DMT held a meeting to firm out the mechanism for its implementation and the prospects for joint cooperation in the area of municipal work between the UAE and Palestine, GDN Online reported.

In attendance were Abu Dhabi Executive Council representative and DMT Chairman Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa; a Palestinian delegation including Huwara Municipality Mayor Moeen Dmaidi; Municipal Council members Jalal Odeh and Mohamed Abed; and Emirati-Palestinian Friendship Club Chairman Ammar Alkurdi.

In a statement following the announcement, Sheikh Mohamed's senior adviser Anwar Gargash lauded the initiative, saying it shows the UAE's "consistent and firm" support for the people of Palestine.

The UAE and Israel have shared strong bilateral relations since the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords, which was officially signed in January 2021. However, the UAE openly denounced Israel when its military forces raided the Jenin Camp in Palestine and the West Bank city of Nablus.

Israel made headlines in recent weeks after the country's far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, called for Huwara to be "wiped out." His comment--in reference to the Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank Village--came after the death of two Israeli brothers, who were allegedly shot dead by a Hamas militant. Their deaths sparked a rampage in the area, leaving at least one Palestinian dead and several others injured.

Israeli settlers have occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967, and it is not home to about 2.9 million Palestinians and 475,000 Jewish settlers, who live in settlements approved by the state but considered illegal according to international law.

Since the beginning of this year, the conflict between Israel and Palestine has led to the death of at least 81 Palestinian adults and children.