The UAE has reportedly discussed with the US and Israel taking part in a provisional administration in post-war Gaza, until a "renewed" Palestinian Authority is able to govern.
Such an administration could see the Gulf country, the US and potentially other nations temporarily supervise the reconstruction, governance and security of the Palestinian territory, which is still being bombed by Israeli forces today.
The Gulf country is reportedly proposing a reformed Palestinian Authority (PA) to govern Gaza, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem under an independent Palestinian state, sources revealed to Reuters on Tuesday.
An official said that Abu Dhabi "will not participate in any plan that fails to include significant reform of the Palestinian Authority, its empowerment, and the establishment of a credible roadmap toward a Palestinian state".
A US State Department spokesperson also confirmed that there were talks with several partners, including the UAE, on options for governance, security and reconstruction, and that various draft proposals, plans and ideas had been put forward by partners.
"These have been deliberative discussions that continue, as we seek the best way forward," he said.
In these talks, Emirati officials reportedly suggested the use of private military contractors as part of a post-war peacekeeping force in Gaza. The other sources confirmed they were briefed on what they described as Emirati post-war proposals, which included the possible use of such forces.
Such contractors have been embroiled in controversy in the past following allegations of torture and abuse in the likes of Iraq and Afghanistan.
However, the sources also added that a detailed plan has yet to be outlined or adopted by any government, despite the talks.
The UAE is a close ally of the US and has established strong diplomatic ties with Israel via the controversial Abraham Accords in 2020, which saw a number of Arab nations normalise relations with Israel.
The move was widely condemned by much of the Arab and Muslim world and Palestinians, who called it "a stab in the back" for their cause.
In September last year, the UAE said it wouldn’t "support" Israel’s post-war plan for Gaza unless a Palestinian state is established – a notion which has been vehemently rejected by the Israeli state for decades.
Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said the UAE "refuses to be involved in any plan aimed at providing cover for the Israeli presence in the Gaza Strip".
The UAE, like many Western nations, classified Hamas as a "terrorist organisation" and had expressed condolences to Israel in the aftermath of the 7 October attacks.
However, Abu Dhabi has gone on to criticise Israel sporadically for its conduct in the enclave, where NGOs and experts have likened Israel's actions to war crimes and genocide.
Asked whether Hamas was aware of proposals discussed by the UAE, senior official Basem Naim told Reuters that after the war, Gaza must be "distinctly Palestinian" and without "foreign interventions".
Ceasefire barriers
Obstacles still remain in reaching a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, though slight progress has been made in recent days.
On Monday, a Hamas official said the group approved of a list of 34 hostages it may release as part of the first stage of a ceasefire deal, as revealed to AFP and Reuters.
Among those included in the list are women, including British-Israeli Emily Damari, 19-year-olf female soldier Liri Albag who appeared in a video posted by Hamas last week, as well as a number of children, the elderly and men.
The official added that a ceasefire deal would be reached only if Israel agrees to withdraw completely from the war-torn Gaza Strip, where 45,855 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023.
Israel has repeatedly refused to put a halt to the war in Gaza and pull out its troops - two moves which have blocked a ceasefire deal from ever being reached despite numerous attempts at attaining one.
Israel seeks to dismantle the Palestinian group, which has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007. Hamas’ win in the Palestinian legislative elections saw Israel intensify its illegal blockade which restricted the import of goods and medicine, as well as travel.
Hamas on Tuesday said it stood by such demands before any captive is released.
Israel, on the other hand, rejected the list - claiming it was never passed on by Hamas but was originally sent from Israel to intermediaries in July 2024.
Israel has also demanded that Hamas discloses who out of the list was dead or alive – which the Palestinian group has yet to respond to, according to Netanyahu’s office.
Israel will likely also refuse to move forward with any ceasefire negotiations if Hamas does not reveal the fate of those on the list.
The group said it "needs at least a week of calm to communicate with the captors and identify those who are alive and those who are dead," an official from the group said.
The list, while it could put pressure on Israel to agree on more concessions for a ceasefire, could also divide the country as it will reveal whose release Netanyahu will approve of first, and who would be left behind.
This could also drive a wedge between hostages’ families, should some captives be released before others.
On Monday, Israeli media reported that a team of mid-ranking officials have been sent to Qatar for negotiations brokered by Doha, as well as Egyptian officials. Mossad chief David Barnea was expected to attend, though no official comment confirming his attendance was provided.
This follows negotiations in December which broke down after Hamas accused Israel of sabotaging the deal and imposing new demands.
On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for a push and voiced confidence that a deal would be reached within weeks, "before or after" Joe Biden leaving the presidential office later this month.
Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip remained ongoing for 15 months and has devastated much of the territory. Tens of billions of dollars would be needed to rebuild the battered territory should and when the war ends.