From the Liveblog of
Sunday, November 5, 2023
UAE slams Israeli minister who said nuking Gaza an option
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
The UAE joins the chorus of condemnations against Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu for saying one of Israel’s options in the war against Hamas is to drop a nuclear bomb on Gaza.
The UAE’s foreign ministry calls Eliyahu’s remarks “disgraceful and unacceptable.
“These statements constitute a violation of international law, as well as incitement to commit grave violations of International Humanitarian Law, such as war crimes, and raise grave concerns of an intent to commit genocide,” Abu Dhabi says.
The statement reiterates the Emirati call for a ceasefire in Gaza, to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians there and revamp the peace process.
Following the uproar over his remarks, Eliyahu said he was only speaking metaphorically, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly withdrew plans to fire him, following pushback from far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
