Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Friday thanked Egyptian President Adel-Fattah el-Sisi and the governments of Oman and Bahrain for their support to the normalization of relations between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv.

“Expanding the circle of peace will be good for the entire region,” Netanyahu said in a statement. He also revealed the role of Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer and the UAE Ambassador to the US Yousef al-Otaiba in reaching the deal.

“[Netanyahu] thanks our ambassador in Washington who worked with his UAE counterpart and the White House, and played a significant role which led to achieve a peace agreement,” the statement added.

The deal to normalize UAE-Israel ties was announced by US President Donald Trump on Thursday, forestalling Israel’s controversial plans to annex large swathes of the occupied West Bank.

A joint statement by the US, UAE and Israel said the “breakthrough” will promote “peace in the Middle East region and is a testament to the bold diplomacy and vision of the three leaders,” referring to Trump, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Netanyahu.

Palestinian groups denounced the new agreement, saying it does nothing to serve the Palestinian cause and ignores the rights of the Palestinian people. The UAE's peace deal with Israel is a “treacherous stab in the back of the Palestinian people,” Hamas said in a statement.

Egyptian president hails UAE-Israel agreement

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Thursday welcomed a new peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to normalize ties.

“I followed with interest and appreciation the joint statement between the United States, United Arab Emirates and Israel to halt the Israeli annexation of Palestinian lands and taking steps to bring peace in the Middle East,” al-Sisi said on Twitter.

He also applauded “the efforts of those in charge of the deal to achieve prosperity and stability” in the region.

Israel and the UAE have agreed to normalize relations, US President Donald Trump said Thursday, in a move forestalling Israel's controversial plans to annex large swathes of the occupied West Bank.

A joint statement from the US, UAE, and Israel said the "breakthrough" will promote "peace in the Middle East region and is a testament to the bold diplomacy and vision of the three leaders,” referring to Trump, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, and Netanyahu.

Under the deal, Israel will "suspend" plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank "and focus its efforts now on expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world," according to the statement.

Later in the day, Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu touted his country’s new peace deal with the United Arab Emirates as “historic.”

The development marks only the third time an Arab nation has opened full diplomatic ties with Israel, and the Emirates is now the first Gulf Arab state to do so. The other Arab nations with diplomatic ties with Israel are Egypt and Jordan.

Israeli leaders tout peace agreement with UAE

Israel’s defense minister on Thursday thanked the leaders of the US and United Arab Emirates for his country’s controversial peace deal announced today with UAE.

"I would like to thank first and foremost US President Donald Trump, a true friend of Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and [UAE Crown Prince] Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed,” Benny Gantz, also the alternate prime minister, said in a statement.

“The agreement expresses the alliance between regional countries that are interested in regional stability and cooperation,” he said.

According to Gantz, the agreement will have positive implications for the future of the Middle East as a whole and on Israel's position in the world and the region.

Yair Lapid, the head of Israel’s leftist Yesh Atid party, also congratulated Netanyahu on the normalization of relations with the UAE.

Lapid stressed the importance of increasing Israel's diplomatic relations with other nations.

He also thanked Trump for his role in bringing about the diplomatic breakthrough.

Israel and the UAE have agreed to normalize relations, Trump said Thursday, in a move forestalling Israel's controversial plans to annex large swathes of the occupied West Bank.

A joint statement from the US, UAE, and Israel said the "breakthrough" will promote "peace in the Middle East region and is a testament to the bold diplomacy and vision of the three leaders,” referring to Trump, Crown Prince Mohammed, and Netanyahu.

Under the deal, Israel will "suspend" plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank "and focus its efforts now on expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world," according to the statement.