Palestinians protest against UAE-Israeli peace deal

Hundreds of Palestinians protested in Gaza against the US-brokered peace deal between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel to normalise ties.

The demonstration on Wednesday took place in front of the headquarters of the UN Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees, reports Xinhua news agency.

The demonstrators marched toward the Ansar square, waving Palestinian flags and carrying banners.

Different factions, including President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party, Islamic Hamas movement, Islamic Jihad movement and the leftist groups, joined the mass rally.

Ahmed Helles, a member of Fatah's Central Committee, said that "the Palestinians' stance is unified," adding that "we will confront all attempts aiming to end our just issue".

"The UAE-Israeli normalization deal is denying all Palestinian rights, Palestinian land, as well as the issue of Jerusalem," Helles said, stressing that "the Palestinians have several chances to act against the deal".

Meanwhile, Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas leader in Gaza, told Xinhua news agency that "our people have proven that they can challenge all attempts that aim to end our issue".

He stressed that all Palestinian factions must unite to create a national strategy to confront the Israeli occupation, as well as the accord.

According to the August 13 peace agreement, Israel will suspend the annexation of Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank, while it focuses on expanding ties with other Arab countries with other nations in the Muslim world.

The UAE and Israel will also immediately expand and accelerate cooperation regarding the treatment of and the development of a vaccine for coronavirus.

The deal marks the first diplomatic relations between Israel and a Gulf country.

The UAE is the third Arab country, after Egypt and Jordan, to establish official ties with Israel..