On August 23, the UAE transferred roughly 40 tonnes of military equipment to Israel, the first verified direct supply. This drew notice during the Gaza conflict.
The United Arab Emirates has sent its first direct shipment of military equipment to Israel. This is a new step in the defence partnership that began with the Abraham Accords.
The timing of deliver rises questions due to Gaza conflict. Flight records show that an Il-76TD military cargo plane left Abu Dhabi on August 23, 2025, and landed at Ramon Airport with almost 40 tonnes of military equipment. Central News Online called the package the "first known" transfer of its sort on September 1.
The delivery shows that the defence relations between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv are getting stronger, although the contents of the shipment is not declared.
Despite the delivery of military equipment, the UAE warned Israel about a red line. UAE special envoy Lana Nusseibeh told The Times of Israel that occupying the West Bank would “end the vision of regional integration” as UAE considers it crossing the red line. “Annexation would be a red line for my government, and that means there can be no lasting peace. It would foreclose the idea of regional integration and be the death knell of the two-state solution,” told in an interview conducted in the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi.
