Washington (Somalia Today) – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain have expressed serious concerns that a US-led initiative for post-war Gaza empowers their regional rival, Qatar, thereby threatening the plan’s viability.Â
A Saudi diplomatic source warned that expanding US defense agreements with Doha and giving it a central role could cause the entire effort to collapse and allow Hamas to regain power.
This friction highlights a growing divide among Washington’s key Arab partners. While supportive of the overall goal to end the war, they feel sidelined by what they view as major concessions to Qatar, a backer of the Muslim Brotherhood. “It’s a mistake to rely on Qatar,” the Saudi source told Israel Hayom.
The Gulf states’ vision for Gaza aligns closely with Israel’s on key conditions. They support the full disarmament of Hamas and insist the Palestinian Authority can only return after sweeping reforms and a deradicalization process. These nations are already pursuing internal educational and media reforms to promote regional stability.
The source claimed that Qatar’s interests directly conflict with these goals. “Excessive Qatari involvement in the next stages of the plan and Gaza’s reconstruction will cause Trump’s plan to collapse,” the official stated.
They added that Qatar “will undermine deradicalization efforts and try to ensure that Hamas remains in the picture and returns to power in the not-so-distant future.”
Conditions for normalization
The dispute over Qatar’s growing US backing complicates other regional dynamics, including potential normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel. The Saudi source confirmed that establishing ties remains possible but is not imminent.
“It’s a long road that requires seeing the agreement implemented in full, including Israel’s commitments to the Palestinian Authority and serious negotiations toward a two-state solution,” the source said.
Riyadh intends to hold both sides accountable. “We will make sure the Palestinian Authority fulfills its obligations, but Israel, regardless of its coalition, must honor what Netanyahu agreed to,” the official stated.Â
This puts pressure on the Israeli government, with the source noting, “Netanyahu, or the next government, will have to decide whether they support extreme measures like annexation or genuinely want a real solution.”
Instability on the ground
Meanwhile, Israeli officials are preparing for the next phase with apprehension. Many believe Hamas will refuse to disarm, relinquish control of Gaza, or cease militant activities. Recent Hamas actions, including armed shows of force and executions of alleged collaborators, fuel this pessimism.
Security sources confirmed that Israeli forces have intervened in some areas under or near their control to prevent revenge attacks by Hamas, killing several militants in the process.
A recent summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to which Israel was not invited, amplified tensions. US officials privately told Israeli counterparts the event was ceremonial, but acknowledged it “effectively signified the war’s conclusion.”Â
The message from the summit was aimed at Hamas: its time is up, and it will be excluded from Gaza’s reconstruction.
Still, the path forward is unclear. The multinational force and international body intended to oversee Gaza have not been established. Israeli and American sources said this next phase will take many months, expressing concern that in the interim, military incidents could spiral into a renewed conflict.
