Palestinian PM rejects US-brokered Israel-UAE pact

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh on Monday denounced the US-brokered diplomatic deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel that required Israel to halt plans to annex land sought by the Palestinians.

Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced Thursday they were establishing full diplomatic relations in the US-brokered accord.

The historic deal delivered a key foreign policy victory to President Donald Trump as he seeks reelection, and reflected a changing Middle East in which shared concerns about archenemy Iran have largely overtaken traditional Arab support for the Palestinians.

Palestinian maintain it puts a just resolution of Middle East conflict even farther out of reach.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu contended Sunday that the deal with UAE shows Israel doesn't need to retreat from occupied land sought by the Palestinians in order to have diplomatic ties with Arab states.

Deals between Israel and the UAE are expected in the coming weeks in such areas as tourism, direct flights and embassies.

Early Sunday, the Emirates' state-run WAM news agency announced a UAE company had signed an agreement with an Israeli company for research and study of the coronavirus pandemic.

The move has sparked anger among some who see it as a betrayal of longstanding efforts to establish an independent state of Palestinians.