Amid Israel’s ongoing military offensive in the Gaza Strip, leaders from the world’s top air forces on Sunday, November 12, avoided discussing the Israel-Hamas war during a conference in Dubai, Associated Press (AP) reported.
The Dubai International Air Chiefs’ Conference (DIACC), sponsored by Israeli-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Limited, took place ahead of the Dubai Air Show which will be held from Monday, November 13.
While staying away from the discussion of the Israel-Hamas war, US Air Force Brig. Gen. David A. Mineau cited challenges facing the region, including intelligence sharing for nations allied with America.
Mineau stated that despite changes, problems remain consistent due to ongoing work on a shared operating picture and threat warning.
After the conference, he told journalists that they were not allowed to go on record with anything at the event, but declined to provide further details.
UAE to maintain ties with Israel despite conflict in Gaza
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) plans to maintain diplomatic relations with Israel despite increasing Arab anger over the Gaza war’s civilian casualties, Reuters reported.
Abu Dhabi criticizes Israel’s war tactics and Hamas’ attack, viewing Palestinian militants and Islamists as threats to Middle East stability.
The UAE also established diplomatic ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords in 2020, breaking the taboo of normalizing relations without a Palestinian state.
At dawn on October 7, Palestinian militant group Hamas launched the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation, in which thousands of rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip, storming Israeli settlements, and capturing soldiers and civilians. The objective was to exchange the captives for more than 6,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons, including women and children.
Hamas surprise attack on Israel resulted in the death of about 1,200 Israelis, mainly civilians.
Israel responded by launching Operation Iron Swords, threatening Hamas with severe consequences for its attack.
In Gaza alone, more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,000 children, and 27,000 citizens wounded due to Israeli attacks.
