Officials from Israel, and the United States are said to have met for talks hosted by UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed.
It is understood that Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and US President Joe Biden’s Mideast envoy Brett McGurk attended the talks along with Israeli officials.
According to the Times of Israel, two Israeli representatives told the Axios news site that a post-war plan presented by the UAE was similar to a previous proposal puts by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in January.
Reporters suggested the event could be a sign that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s position might be softening.
Before the meeting took place, a senior UAE official had already suggested that Abu Dhabi was prepared to lend its troops to a post-war peacekeeping force in Gaza.
The Times of Israel said the UAE would be supported by the US to do so and would be the first Arab country publicly to declare its willingness to be part of the next phase in Gaza.
Writing in the Financial Times, Lana Nusseibeh, who until recently was the UAE’S envoy to the United Nations, called for the establishment of a “temporary international mission” in Gaza.
Nusseibeh said the mission would “respond to the humanitarian crisis, establishes law and order, lay the groundwork for governance and pave the way to reuniting Gaza and the occupied West Bank under a single, legitimate Palestinian Authority”.
The UAE diplomat said it would be the authority’s responsibility to conduct reforms that would include appointing an independent prime minister, who would then formally invite the international force to enter Gaza.
Israel would need to accept the Palestinian Authority as the governing body in Gaza and move toward a two-state solution, she said.
She suggested all this should happen with the support of the US.
According to the Axios report, UAE officials have told the Biden administration that the Palestinian Authority’s newly appointed prime minister, Mohammed Mustafa, would not be a suitable figure to lead the reforms.
They suggested he was too closely connected to PA President Mahmoud Abbas and a better candidate would be former PA prime minister Salam Fayyad.
Mahmoud AbbasGetty Images
Fayyad is a critic of Abbas and is understood to be thought of as a better potential replacement.
According to reports, the US has been looking for other countries to support post-war efforts in Gaza and ensure Hamas does not regain control.
