The chairman of Israel’s Charedi Shas Party arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday for talks on post-war Gaza.
Aryeh Deri was invited to meet with the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed for discussions about the so-called “day after” plans for the end of the war.
UAE officials have been negotiating with Israel and the US regarding participation in the provisional administration of post-war Gaza.
One proposed plan involves the UAE, the US and other nations temporarily overseeing the reconstruction, security and governance of Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military would withdraw until a reformed Palestinian Authority (PA) can assume power.
Diplomats suggest that Abu Dhabi may hold significant influence over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to the Gulf state being a close US partner and a signatory to the 2021 Abraham Accords.
One UAE official made it clear that the PA must undergo significant reforms before it can play a role.
“The UAE will not participate in any plan that fails to include significant reform of the Palestinian Authority, its empowerment and the establishment of a credible roadmap toward a Palestinian state,” the official told Reuters. “These elements, which are currently lacking, are essential for the success of any post-Gaza plan,” they said.
A US State Department spokesperson confirmed that negotiations were taking place with the UAE about a day-after plan in Gaza.
“These have been deliberative discussions that are ongoing as we work to determine the best path forward,” the spokesperson said.
Deri was reportedly asked to approach the more moderate parts of the Israeli government about the proposals.
It comes as Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said in Davos on Tuesday that he hoped the PA would be able to play a governing role in Gaza’s future.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Switzerland, Al Thani asserted that Gazans would have primary authority over how the enclave will be governed.
“We hope to see the PA back in Gaza. We hope to see a government that will really address the issues of the people over there. And there is a long way to go with Gaza and the destruction," he said.
Reports later emerged that Israel had agreed to allow the PA to take control of the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt when it reopens.
According to the news outlet Asharq Al-Awsat, an agreement was reached between Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, Mossad chief David Barnea and Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad in a meeting at Cairo.
According to the report, the PA will manage the Gazan side of the crossing, under “international supervision and monitoring by the UN”.
However, an Israeli Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) spokesperson has partially denied the reports, accusing the PA of trying to “create the false impression that it controls the crossing”.
The PMO did acknowledge that the PA is involved in approving exit visas but said that “nobody passes through it without supervision and approval from the IDF and Shin Bet”.
Israel has rejected any governing role for Hamas in Gaza, which ran the Strip before the war, but it is also opposed to any rule by the PA, which was set up under the Oslo interim peace accords three decades ago and which has limited governing authority in the West Bank.
Speaking at the Knesset today, one of Netanyahu’s top confidantes told lawmakers that “there is no promise regarding the establishment of a Palestinian state, at all”.
Referring to the governance of Gaza post-war, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer stressed the importance of engaging “both the United States and the powers in the region” to establish a management plan for the enclave “according to the framework set by the prime minister”.
