Arab authorities secretly plan for Gaza’s future
Senior government officials responsible for the security of their respective countries, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority, gathered for a private meeting in Riyadh a week and a half ago
High-ranking officials responsible for the security of their respective countries, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority, held a confidential gathering in Riyadh 10 days ago, according to the news website Axios.
The purpose of the meeting was to coordinate strategies for the period following Israel’s war on Gaza and to explore options for involving a reinvigorated Palestinian Authority in the region’s governance.
This development underscores the growing collaboration between Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Authority, particularly since the outbreak of a war in Gaza. While the Palestinian Authority and its Arab allies are actively discussing plans for the post-war era, the Israeli government has been relatively silent on its vision for the governance of Gaza following a potential defeat of Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is opposed to granting the Palestinian Authority a role in Gaza but has not put forward an alternative plan. The Israeli Defense Forces chief of staff Gen. Herzi Halevi has cautioned that military gains in Gaza could be squandered without a diplomatic strategy for the aftermath.
The meeting in Riyadh was organized by Saudi Arabia’s national security adviser Musaed bin Mohammed al-Aiban and was attended by the director of the Palestinian General Intelligence Service Majed Faraj as well as their counterparts from Egypt and Jordan. U.S. and Israeli officials were reportedly briefed on the meeting and its discussions.
The Saudi, Egyptian and Jordanian officials emphasized the need for the Palestinian Authority to implement substantial reforms in order to reinvigorate its political leadership. They also requested that, in the event of a new Palestinian government, the prime minister would assume some of the authority that has been centralized under Mahmoud Abbas in recent years.
The Saudi national security adviser expressed the kingdom’s continued interest in advancing normalization with Israel in exchange for tangible and irreversible steps by Israel that would pave the way for a Palestinian state, even if its establishment is not immediate.
The Saudi Arabian and Jordanian embassies in Washington declined to comment, while Palestinian and Egyptian officials did not respond to requests for comment. The Biden administration has articulated a strategy for the post-war period in Gaza that involves linking normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia to the establishment of a pathway for a Palestinian state. The administration has been urging the Palestinian Authority to undertake reforms and play a role in Gaza, while also pressing Netanyahu to engage in discussions about the post-war plan for Gaza and the potential involvement of the Palestinian Authority in future governance arrangements.
Source: Newsroom
