Gulf Arab states condition Gaza reconstruction on removing Hamas: WSJ
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Gulf Arab states, particularly the UAE, are conditioning Gaza’s reconstruction on Hamas’ removal, while Arab nations remain divided on the group's role in postwar governance.
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Fighters from the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas in Gaza City, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025 (AP)
Gulf Arab states are conditioning their financial support for Gaza's postwar reconstruction on the removal of Hamas from power, deepening divisions among Arab nations on the future governance of the Palestinian territory, the Wall Street Journal reported.
As the current ceasefire nears its end, discussions are intensifying over the next phase, which includes securing a permanent truce, releasing more Israeli captives, and rebuilding Gaza. However, the Israeli occupation refuses to end its military campaign as long as Hamas remains in control, and key Gulf states, particularly the United Arab Emirates, are unwilling to fund reconstruction if Hamas retains authority.
Egypt is pushing for a compromise that would weaken Hamas’ authority without completely eliminating it. Saudi Arabia and Qatar support an Egyptian proposal that would require Hamas to disarm while allowing it to retain a political role in governing Gaza alongside other Palestinian factions.
In contrast, the UAE insists on Hamas’s full removal and wants the Palestinian Authority to govern the blockaded strip instead.
The disagreement extends to whether Arab states should send forces to help secure Gaza, with no consensus yet reached. Arab leaders are set to meet in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss a unified plan, following a failed attempt to do so at a summit in Riyadh on Feb. 21.
'Israel' rejects Hamas presence in Gaza
The Israeli occupation has informed mediators that it rejects any postwar arrangement involving Hamas, a position backed by the United States. Egypt is also demanding that Hamas and other Palestinian factions surrender their missile stockpiles to prevent future attacks against the Israeli regime.
The UAE, expected to play a leading role in funding Gaza’s reconstruction, remains firmly opposed to any Hamas presence, according to Arab officials. Instead, it advocates for a restructured Palestinian Authority to assume full governance of the enclave.
Meanwhile, discussions on Gaza’s future have taken on greater urgency following former US President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to relocate Gaza’s population and redevelop the strip as an international destination. Arab states have uniformly rejected this plan but remain divided on an alternative.
The solve 'sovereign authority'
Reserve Brigadier General in the Israeli occupation forces, Zvika Haimovich, said in early February that the images coming out of Gaza do not depict Hamas as "collapsed, shattered, crushed, destroyed, or even dismantled."
Instead, the pictures emerging over the past two weeks depict the Palestinian group as "the exclusive sovereign authority in the strip," Haimovich said in an article published in the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom.
Haimovich, who previously served as the commander of the Air Defense Formation in the Israeli military, emphasized that Hamas "remains steadfast, and as time passes and the process of returning Israeli captives advances, its grip and control on the ground only strengthen."
He suggested that "Israel will have to search for an image of victory, which we had hoped to see elsewhere," explaining that the return of all Israeli captives will not provide an image of victory for "Israel".
Haimovich underscored the importance of remembering "the cost [that Israel has paid], the time that has elapsed, and those whose return alive was possible but did not happen."
Additionally, the reserve brigadier general stressed that Hamas "has proven to be a tough negotiator" in the ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations, adding that the Palestinian group "knew how to exploit the situation to its advantage."
