Israel-Palestine war: Bahrain parliament says ambassador to Israel 'recalled'
Bahrain's parliament has announced the recall of its ambassador to Israel, according to a statement put on its website on Thursday, however it is not clear if the envoy will indeed leave.
A spokesman for the Council of Representatives, the country's lower legislative house, said economic cooperation with Israel would also be put on hold amid its bombardment of Gaza.
"This is a confirmation of the historic Bahraini position in support of the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the fraternal Palestinian people, which has been previously declared by His Majesty the King at conferences and events," the statement read, referring to Bahrain's King Hamad Al Khalifa.
The statement also condemned Israel's "lack of respect for international humanitarian law" in its military operations in Gaza and affirmed Bahrain's support for an independent Palestinian state.
It is not clear whether the move would be temporary and Bahrain's foreign ministry has not commented on the matter.
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However, later on Thursday, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said Bahrain would not be recalling its envoy to Israel, citing an official Bahraini source.
A small island country situated in the Gulf, Bahrain's internal politics have long been dominated by its larger neighbour Saudi Arabia.
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According to a report by Axios, Riyadh is still interested in continuing to develop ties with Israel despite the latter's ongoing war in Gaza.
Bahrain signed a normalisation deal with Israel in September 2020 alongside its Gulf neighbour, the UAE.
Morocco and Sudan also signed deals with Israel that same year.
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