To show solidarity with the people of Gaza, Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned all New Year’s Eve fireworks displays and celebrations. Sharjah Police issued the diktat on Tuesday (Dec 26), urging all members of the public and organisations to comply with the regulations. .
The police in a statement released said the ban is a “sincere expression of solidarity and humanitarian cooperation with our siblings in the Gaza Strip”.
Sharjah is the UAE’s third-largest emirate by size and population behind Abu Dhabi and Dubai. There are seven emirates. Fireworks are a major part of New Year’s Eve celebrations across the UAE, especially in Sharjah where tourists flock to spend the end-of-year holidays
Since the war first started in October, a number of live events and concerts have been cancelled or postponed in the Emirates. The debut performance of American singer-songwriter Khalid, due to be held at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena on October 27 was shelved.
Last month, Tanweer Sacred Hearts Festival in Sharjah, scheduled to be held from November 24 to 26 was also binned due to the same reason.
UAE calls for ceasefire
The UAE and Israeli bilateral relations were forged in 2020 after the signing of the Abraham Accords. As a result, since the beginning of the war, UAE has repeatedly urged Israel for a humanitarian ceasefire, whilst also condemning the terrorist attacks by Hamas and bombardment by Israeli forces.
UAE has also warned against a risk of regional spillover if the war between Israel-Hamas continues into the new year.
“As we continue working to stop this war, we cannot ignore the wider context and the necessity to turn down the regional temperature that is approaching a boiling point,” said Noura Al Kaabi, a minister of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Despite the insistence by the Gulf regional power, Tel Aviv and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have made it clear that the war would only end with the elimination of Hamas.
“We won’t stop fighting until we’ve achieved all the objectives we’ve set ourselves: the elimination of Hamas, the release of our hostages and the end of the threat from Gaza,” Netanyahu said earlier this month.
Notably, Israel has informed several Arab states including Egypt, Jordan and the UAE that it wants a buffer zone in the Gaza Strip once its conflict with Hamas ends.
(With inputs from agencies)
