The United Arab Emirates on Monday issued a blunt denial of reports that it planned to assume control of the civilian administration of the Gaza Strip, saying governance and administration remained the responsibility of the Palestinian people.
State Minister for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy “categorically” denied what the UAE Foreign Ministry called a “false and unfounded claim” that the Emirates would take over Gaza’s civilian administration.
The denial followed a report aired the previous evening by Channel 12, which said that Abu Dhabi had been holding intensive talks with Israel and the United States in recent weeks on a government-to-government framework that would place the UAE in charge of Gaza’s “civilian envelope.”
According to the N12 report, the plan discussed included a multibillion-dollar investment package, management of Gaza’s markets and trade, the purchase of goods entering Gaza from Israel, and the use of Israeli contractors. It also described upgrading distribution centers into logistics hubs, with a security component that included armed Emirati forces securing the hubs alongside private American security companies operating in Gaza.
N12 said draft documents had been exchanged and that Israel supported the move in principle while stressing that the details would still require Israeli approval. Israeli officials quoted in the report described the UAE as seeking to enter “with full force” and become Gaza’s “civilian patron” while arguing that the civilian track would sit alongside Israel’s stated war aims regarding Hamas and demilitarization.
UAE framed its role differently
In its statement, the UAE framed its role differently. Al Hashimy said the UAE remained focused on expanding humanitarian support and advancing a durable peace, and she pointed to Abu Dhabi’s participation in the “Board of Peace” and membership on the Gaza Executive Board.
A recent Congressional Research Service brief also noted Al Hashimy’s appointment to the Gaza Executive Board and said the UAE had remained noncommittal about direct participation in an international stabilization force without a clear framework.