(MENAFN) A public caution from the United Arab Emirates caused the Israeli government to cancel a planned discussion about annexing the West Bank, according to a report by a news outlet.

Earlier this week, a senior UAE diplomat reportedly conveyed to Israeli media that such a move would represent a “red line” that would obstruct Israel’s path toward regional integration.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to bring up the topic at a significant government meeting on Friday, local news outlets indicated.

On Wednesday, UAE special envoy Lana Nusseibeh told a news agency that annexation would “foreclose the idea of regional integration.”

“For every Arab capital you talk to, the idea of regional integration is still a possibility, but annexation to satisfy some of the radical extremist elements in Israel is going to take that off the table,” she explained.

The UAE was the first Arab country to normalize relations with Israel in more than twenty-five years through the Abraham Accords, which were facilitated by US President Donald Trump during his initial term in office.

The open warning from Abu Dhabi “came as a surprise,” an Israeli official told the news outlet, describing the situation as “very unusual.”

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