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UAE, Bahrain Condemn Abduction Of Israeli Civilians
By AFP - Agence France Presse
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UPDATES with Bahrain reax
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have condemned the abduction of Israeli civilians by Hamas during its assault on Israel, calling for diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting.
The Arab Muslim countries both established relations with Israel in 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords.
Their statements came after at least 100 hostages were seized in Saturday's assault which left more than 700 people dead in Israel and triggered reprisal air strikes which have killed over 560 in Gaza.
"The ministry stressed that attacks by Hamas against Israeli towns and villages near the Gaza Strip, including the firing of thousands of rockets at population centres, are a serious and grave escalation," the UAE's foreign ministry said in a statement late on Sunday.
"The ministry is appalled by reports that Israeli civilians have been abducted as hostages from their homes."
The statement is notably less neutral than the UAE's initial reaction on Saturday, which simply "expressed great concern regarding the escalation of violence between Israelis and Palestinians".
"The UAE expressed its condolences to the families of the victims and urges all diplomatic efforts to prevent a wider regional confrontation," the latest statement said, warning against "nihilistic destruction".
On Monday, Bahrain's foreign ministry followed suit, saying the "attacks launched by Hamas constitute a dangerous escalation".
"Bahrain denounces.... the kidnapping of civilians from their homes as hostages," the statement said, calling for immediate efforts to stop the fighting.
