UAE forces could play key role in managing Guza’s post-war security [Getty]
The UAE reportedly told Israel it would only send troops to a pan-Arab peacekeeping force if the Palestinian Authority was given authority over the Gaza Strip.
The Gulf state is one of several Arab countries that have signaled their willingness to maintain security in the Gaza Strip as part of a multinational peacekeeping force if Hamas is defeated.
Citing anonymous sources, Israel’s Army Radio reported on Wednesday that Abu Dhabi had told Israel it was ready to take the step only if the Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, was given authority over the Gaza Strip.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said last month that it could join a multinational peacekeeping force in the Gaza Strip after a war, but only at the invitation of a “reformed Palestinian Authority.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected any role for the Palestinian Authority in a post-war Gaza Strip, and some in his coalition want Israel to rule it directly and potentially expel the Palestinians.
There are doubts about whether Egypt, which has the Arab world’s largest military and deep ties to forces in the Gaza Strip, will play a role in the peacekeeping force either.
Egypt has demanded that Israel relinquish control of the Rafah border crossing and hand over authority to the Palestinian Authority.
The Palestinian Authority took power in the Gaza Strip in 2020 after losing general elections to Hamas, but was soon ousted by forces loyal to the Islamist movement.
Hamas’ takeover of the enclave led to a brutal Israeli siege that has plunged millions of Palestinians into poverty and led to the October 7 attacks.
Hamas has gone underground since the start of Israel’s Gaza war and has denied ever stepping down from power.
The UAE has close ties with Mohammed Dahlan, the Palestinian Authority’s former Gaza enforcer, who some reports say is poised to take up a senior position in the Gaza Strip after the war.