Israel, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates held a secret meeting in Abu Dhabi on Thursday to discuss potential plans for postwar Gaza, according to two Israeli officials who spoke to Axios.
The discussions were hosted by UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed and attended by Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and US President Joe Biden’s Middle East envoy Brett McGurk. Two senior Israeli officials involved in planning for Gaza after the war also participated.
Axios reported that a senior Emirati official indicated that Abu Dhabi is prepared to contribute troops to a postwar peacekeeping force in Gaza. This would mark the first time an Arab country has publicly supported the effort being quietly advanced by the Biden administration.
In an op-ed for the Financial Times, Lana Nusseibeh, special envoy of bin Zayed, called for a “temporary international mission” in Gaza to address the humanitarian crisis, establish law and order, and pave the way for reunification of Gaza and the West Bank under a legitimate Palestinian Authority.
The US has warned that without a viable plan for postwar Gaza, the conflict could continue indefinitely.
* The Times of Israel contributed to this article.
