In an extraordinarily surprising development, the United Arab Emirates (UAE has signaled the possibility of removing all Palestinians from Gaza, in accordance with Trump's controversial Gaza plan.
UAE Ambassador to the US Yousef Al Otaiba in a fresh interview called the plan "difficult but inevitable" and said he's sees "no alternative" but Trump's plan to expel Gaza's population and undertake massive economic redevelopment of the Strip. He had been asked by a reporter whether the UAE is working on a separate plan, to which he responded no, there's no other plan.
It was in September 2020 that the UAE announced the Trump-sponsored Abraham Accords for normalization with Israel. UAE has long been a close regional US-ally, but the ambassador's words are still deeply surprising and might actually contradict the UAE's official stance.
For example, regional media just yesterday reported:
The UAE, a key ally of both Israel and the United States in the Muslim world, has taken a firm stance against U.S. President Donald Trump’s reported plan for Gaza. In a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan strongly rejected any attempt to displace Palestinians or deny them their “inalienable rights.”
The country's leadership has just this week called for a two-state solution. And per Reuters:
It said the UAE, one of the few Arab countries that normalised relations with Israel, categorically rejected any attempt to displace the Palestinians and deny them "inalienable rights".
It could be that in breaking from the official government position, Amb Otaiba is trying to curry favor in Washington, or else he could be signaling to the White House that the UAE is ready to jump on board the US plan if other regional governments to as well.
But Arab nations have been pretty lockstep on the issue, and Jordan and Egypt in particular are not budging in terms of their vehement rejection of the Trump plan.
The White House itself appears to have moved the goal posts of late: "Right before walking away from the podium at the White House press briefing on Wednesday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she had one more note to add: US President Donald Trump, she said, has tasked Arab nations to present him with a plan for the Gaza Strip," Middle East Eye reports.
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What happens next with the fragile Hamas-Israel truce deal?
Below are some reaction statements from retired top US Generals, offering their thoughts, via Peter Tchir's Academy Securities:
“It took a year of negotiations to reach the current deal. Trump pressurized the negotiations to get to where we are now. The ceasefire will be difficult to continue with all that is in play on both sides. Hamas saying they will delay the release of more hostages until further notice brought Trump back into the middle of the problem. He re-pressurized the ceasefire again by saying that ‘all hell will break out’ if Hamas does not return the hostages on Saturday at noon. Complicating the ceasefire is the fact that neither side wants to end the war. Israel still wants to destroy Hamas, while Hamas wants the IDF out of Gaza so they can reassert governance and rebuild their military arm. Trump is trying to move the conversation to solving the larger ‘Gaza-next’ problem.”
– General Robert Walsh
“There are a number of options as of Saturday noon, but what seems most likely is a resumption of combat operations in Gaza with the objective of forcibly rescuing the remaining hostages. Obviously, if this was a considered and evaluated course of action, it would have been executed earlier in the war. However, Trump may also encourage Israel to attack any number of high value targets in Iran, including nuclear research facilities, and military targets to include Iranian naval vessels. Albeit weakened, Tehran can influence the actions of Hamas and their decision with respect to the Israeli hostage release.”
– General Spider Marks
“I suspect that this returns to violence soon. Six weeks was a stretch at best. Trump’s green light to Bibi without a regional or local strategy and end state is dangerous, but it is Trump’s preferred style. Certainly, Iran is one messaging target but the message to the GCC is not in line with what the Arab street can accept regarding the Palestinians. I don't see them accepting the Gaza solution proposed. The messaging about the U.S. assuming control of Gaza is not feasible and probably not acceptable. This is pressurizing both sides in the region.”
– General Frank Kearney
“Agree with all. I would add that the parties are as stubborn as ever, but the ordinary people impacted are completely fed up (both Israelis and Palestinians). Saudi Arabia has put a line in the sand that the Palestinians will not become regional refugees. Hamas' line in the sand is they want to be seen as the liberators and continued power broker on the ground. Maybe Trump’s position brings about some new thinking about how to build something enduring. It could take advantage of popular needs/demands in Gaza, and push out Hamas as the decision maker.”
– General Michael Groen