The United Arab Emirates on Sunday described attacks carried out by Palestinian Islamist faction Hamas against Israeli towns as a “serious and grave escalation.”

The UAE foreign ministry in a statement also said it was “appalled” by reports Israeli civilians were taken as hostages from their homes.

“Civilians on both sides must always have full protection under international humanitarian law and must never be a target of conflict,” the ministry added.

The UAE became the first Gulf country to normalise relations with Israel in 2020, breaking with decades of Arab policy toward the Palestinian cause.