The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has warned Israel that annexing West Bank territory could spark serious diplomatic repercussions and threaten the Abraham Accords.

“Annexation in the West Bank would constitute a red line for the UAE,” Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs at the UAE’s foreign ministry, said in a statement. “It would severely undermine the vision and spirit of [the Abraham] Accords, end the pursuit of regional integration, and would alter the widely-shared consensus on what the trajectory of this conflict should be – two states living side by side in peace, prosperity, and security.”

The UAE made its statement following reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a plan to annex parts of the West Bank ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, where several Western countries are expected to formally recognize a Palestinian state.

Led by France, the initiative is intended “to end the war in Gaza and provide relief to the civilian population,” according to French President Emmanuel Macron.

Consistent with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine.

I will make this solemn announcement before the United Nations General Assembly this coming September.… pic.twitter.com/VTSVGVH41I

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 24, 2025

Nusseibeh said the start of the path toward resolving the Gaza conflict “should be the end of the war in Gaza, securing the release of all hostages, and ensuring that Hamas is disarmed and no longer able to control Gaza or its people.”

“But it cannot stop there,” she emphasized. “What follows must change the trajectory of this conflict and deliver a genuine horizon to two states, which requires the restoration of law and order in Gaza, credible and reformed Palestinian governance, and the reunification of Gaza and the West Bank.”

The UAE is the most prominent of the three Arab states that signed the Abraham Accords with Israel during President Donald Trump’s first term. Its recent statement marks its strongest criticism of Israel since the 2023 Gaza war, when Hamas launched a cross-border attack from the enclave.

UAE’s warning comes as Trump seeks to expand the Accords in a second term, with Saudi Arabia a key target. 

Israel’s Prime Minister’s office has not responded to the UAE’s statement. Netanyahu is expected to meet with his top ministers Thursday to discuss the country’s response to Western initiatives.