In a significant move signalling increased Arab involvement in peacekeeping efforts in the Middle East, senior UAE official Lana Nusseibeh announced the UAE’s intention to contribute troops to the post-war peacekeeping mission in Gaza.
The announcement made the UAE the first Arab country to publicly support the Biden administration-led effort to stabilize the region after long-running conflict.
Nusseibeh, who is the UAE’s special envoy and permanent representative to the United Nations, outlined the idea of an “interim international mission” in Gaza in an op-ed in the Financial Times.
The mission aims to address the humanitarian crisis, establish law and order, and pave the way for the reunification of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under a single, legitimate Palestinian Authority (PA).
The proposal comes at a critical time as the United States seeks to reinstate the Palestinian Authority as the governing authority in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the need for a roadmap towards a reformed Palestinian Authority and a united Palestinian government.
The effort faces challenges, particularly from the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which opposes any framework that would lead to a two-state solution.