UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan showed a surprising concern for the Israeli hostages still held by Hamas, saying Thursday that the first step toward peace in Gaza is to “get … the hostages out.”
The foreign minister made his comments in response to an open-ended question during an interview by Fox News’ Bret Baier on Special Report, during which the anchor asked him what needed to happen in Gaza next.
UAE Foreign Minister discusses the significance of @realdonaldtrump's visit, trade deals and more on ‘Special Report' with @BretBaier. pic.twitter.com/HaOuZQ38DW
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 15, 2025
There are still roughly 20 living hostages in Hamas captivity, and nearly 60 overall.
The UAE pioneered the Abraham Accords with Israel during President Donald Trump’s first term, and have maintained strong ties with Israel despite the Gaza war, using those links to send humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The fact that the foreign minister prioritized the Israeli hostages above any statements about the Palestinian issue was striking.
It will be interpreted by Israelis as a statement of solidarity and friendship, and as a sign of continued faith in the advance of peace in the region — one of the key goals of President Trump’s three-day visit to Arab states.
President Trump visited the UAE Thursday into Friday before returning to the U.S. He visited Dubai and the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, a site of religious coexistence, visited by Breitbart News in 2023.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of Trump 2.0: The Most Dramatic ‘First 100 Days’ in Presidential History, available for Amazon Kindle. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
