Israel evacuates diplomatic staff from the United Arab Emirates

(Patria) - Israel is evacuating most of the staff of its diplomatic missions in the United Arab Emirates, Israeli media reported late last night, after the Israeli National Security Council tightened its travel warning for Israelis staying in that Persian Gulf country.

The Israeli and Jewish community in the UAE has become more visible since 2020, when the UAE became the most prominent Arab state in the last thirty years to establish formal ties with Israel as part of a US-brokered deal called the Abraham Accords, Reuters recalls.

"We are emphasizing this travel warning given our understanding that terrorist organizations (Iranians, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Global Jihad) are increasing their efforts to harm Israel," the National Security Council said in a statement.

The National Security Council warned of possible attempted attacks against Israeli and Jewish individuals in the UAE, especially around Jewish holidays and the Sabbath.

The office of the spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. There was no immediate comment from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Israel is concerned about retaliation after a recent military operation against Iran and faces growing international pressure over the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

In March, the United Arab Emirates sentenced three people to death for the murder of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who was killed in November in the Gulf country. Such crimes are rare in the UAE, which is largely considered one of the safest in the Middle East.