SANAA 

Hundreds of Yemenis on Thursday staged a protest against the United Arab Emirates' deal with Israel to normalize ties.

The protest was held in the Aden province which is controlled by the UAE-backed forces.

Protesters marched on the streets waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans against Israel and the UAE.

They burned the Israeli flag and raised banners reading: "Normalization is treason" and "No normalization with the Zionist enemy".

In a statement, the protesters called for "standing united against normalization with the Israeli occupation, and those who kneel," referring to the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC).

The statement considered the establishment of official relations with Israel "a betrayal against the entire nation and a stab at the Palestinian cause in its back".

A week ago, the UAE-backed STC welcomed Abu Dhabi’s decision to establish official relations with Tel Aviv, describing it as a "courageous decision".

US President Donald Trump announced a deal last week between Israel and the UAE to normalize relations.

The UAE is the first Gulf state and third Arab nation to have full diplomatic relations with Israel after Egypt and Jordan.

Despite reports that the deal halted Israel’s controversial plan to annex parts of the West Bank, Netanyahu confirmed his government’s continued commitment to go ahead with annexation plans.

Palestinian groups denounced the deal, saying it does nothing to serve to the Palestinian cause and ignores the rights of Palestinians.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara