The Gulf States and the aftermath of the Gaza war

You can hardly read an analysis or report in Western newspapers without some aspect of the story including a discussion of the future of Gaza. There is discussion of the scenarios to be expected, the parties involved, the possibilities of success or failure and the positions of those involved in these scenarios.

The common denominator of all these discussions are the countries of the Gulf CooperationCouncil (GCC), in particular Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Since the beginning of the crisis, these countries have been talked about when it comes to financing reconstruction plans and providing security and stability in the Gaza Strip, if no longer under the control of groups and organizations involved in the current conflict with Israel.

Apart from the complexity of the scenarios for civilian governance in the post-Gaza war phase and the possibility of realizing any of these scenarios, especially since the war has been going on for more than three months without any confirmation of the possibility of a complete removal of Hamas ideology from Gaza, the issue for the GCC countries is not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

They do not want their funds, which are supposed to provide security and stability, to be used to buy time before a new round of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The attitude of the GCC states towards the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip is undoubtedly part of the new trends in the foreign policy of these states.

Interests and priorities have changed in line with the needs of the people of these countries. International alliances have broadened, offering numerous alternatives and strategic visions that are reflected in the positions and policies of these countries in recent years. Therefore, this topic is not tied to a specific party.

Moreover, the positions presented are rational and in the interest of the Palestinian people. They represent a skilful soft power that pushes to ensure that all the blood spilled is not in vain, and that secures the legitimate rights of the Palestinians away from media hype and propaganda.

Many Western media outlets are reporting on the position of some Gulf states and their exclusive condition to finance the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip in a clear and realistic perspective for a viable Palestinian state. This is the first experience of the tough diplomatic battle that awaits many actors in our region.

It is not only about restoring life in Gaza and upholding the rights of Palestinians who have been violated by movements and factions. It is also about avoiding a repeat of what happened and not making mistakes that drag innocent Palestinian civilians into factional conflicts that will cost them dearly. The period after the war in Gaza will by no means be easy.

The end of this war does not mean the beginning of stability, but the beginning of the search for stability. The road there may be long, the paths may part, the efforts may be scattered. Realizing these end goals will require considerable effort, even more than the effort required to end the war and find a solution.

Issues such as financing reconstruction in the face of economic hardship and development priorities for all countries willing to fund these plans are not as simple as some imagine. The days of unconditional cash flow, or rather free funds, are over. You can no longer count on billions of dollars with no strings attached.

The past has shown that such practices fail despite their good intentions and humanitarian political or national motives. The process of rebuilding Gaza this time is different from its predecessors, not only because of the scale of destruction following the indiscriminate attack on Israel on October 7, but also because Israel itself has diverging views this time.

I cannot imagine that a realistic plan to rebuild Gaza and preserve its Palestinian identity will be easy to implement. Therefore, it will take a great deal of effort in the day-after negotiations to formulate a form of governance that Israel will agree to and that will ensure its security and stability.

At the same time, it will guarantee the return of some two million displaced people to their homes, towns and villages. The perplexing question is when and how these goals can be achieved.

They are indeed far-fetched, because the reconstruction of schools, hospitals, roads and other vital facilities will not happen overnight, especially under difficult security conditions, transportation difficulties and problems with the movement of materials and necessary goods. The reality when discussing scenarios for the Gaza crisis is that you cannot ignore the facts and get ahead of yourself.

One must not forget who caused the catastrophe for nearly two million Palestinians. To insist on blaming the countries that normalized relations with Israel, as some foolish, naïve people, ignorant hucksters, nationalists and chauvinists do on media platforms, without clear evidence of the relevance of this normalization to what happened to these innocent people, is wrong.

In my opinion, neither the countries that carried out the normalization nor Israel itself wanted to be in this situation in the first place. Therefore, the peddlers must be silenced and let the Arab countries, which have no choice but to deal with the consequences of what happened, take the lead.

However, they must do so in a safe manner to avoid a repeat of what happened and to ensure that their resources and efforts go to the right target, namely the innocent Palestinians who bear the cost of their reckless actions.