UAE president, Blinken discuss Gaza conflict's 'serious repercussions'

President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Talks between the two sides dwelt on the "serious repercussions" of the Gaza crisis on peace, stability and security in the region, the state news agency WAM reported.

Sheikh Mohammed and Blinken underlined "the importance of working to avoid the expansion of the conflict in a way that threatens regional peace," WAM said.

The Emirati leader stressed "the necessity of working to establish a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip to protect the lives of civilians," according to the broadcaster.

Blinken arrived in the UAE on Monday as part of a regional tour that already took him to Türkiye, Jordan, and Qatar. He is also scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt and the West Bank.

Israel has launched air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 22,835 Palestinians have since been killed and 58,416 others injured, according to Gaza's health authorities, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, with 60% of the enclave's infrastructure damaged or destroyed, and nearly 2 million residents displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicines.