The UAE is actively seeking to persuade the Trump administration to undermine a post-war initiative for the Gaza Strip that was developed by Egypt and has received support from the Arab League, according to US and Egyptian officials speaking to Middle East Eye.
Tensions are escalating, with US diplomats expressing concern that this rift could negatively impact American interests in the region. This situation highlights the increasing rivalry among Arab nations regarding control over the future governance and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, as well as differing views on the extent of Hamas’s influence in the area.
The Emirati pressure creates a challenging situation for Cairo, as both the UAE and Egypt generally support the same Palestinian leader for Gaza, Mohammed Dahlan, a former Fatah official now in exile.
“A lone opposition from the UAE to the Arab League plan, which was previously agreed upon, is not feasible, yet they are now undermining it with the Trump administration,” a US official informed MEE.
The UAE is leveraging its unique access to the White House to label the plan as impractical and to accuse Cairo of granting excessive power to Hamas.
Yousef al-Otaiba, the UAE’s influential ambassador to the US, has been engaging with President Donald Trump’s close advisors and US lawmakers to urge Egypt to accept forcibly displaced Palestinians, as reported by one US official and one Egyptian briefed on the situation.
Otaiba has previously stated that he did not perceive “an alternative” to Trump’s earlier proposal for the forced displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
Hamas, which originated from the Muslim Brotherhood founded in Egypt, is an organization that the UAE has sought to eliminate throughout the Middle East.
Egypt’s military-led administration has effectively dismantled the Muslim Brotherhood while permitting some degree of movement for Hamas officials. Egyptian intelligence has maintained established connections with Hamas members, including the Qassam brigades, which have been instrumental in mediating ceasefires in Gaza.
The UAE has expressed frustration over the US-Hamas discussions.
Critics in the UAE have pointed out that Egypt’s plan for Gaza lacks specific details on how to disarm and eliminate Hamas from the region. However, Egyptian officials assert that the plan clearly designates governance to the Palestinian Authority. It proposes the establishment of a security force in Gaza, trained by Jordan and Egypt, and suggests the potential deployment of UN peacekeepers in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank. While Hamas has indicated its acceptance of the plan, Israel opposes the internationalization of the conflict, according to regional diplomats.
In January, the US facilitated a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, but it has since deteriorated, with the besieged area nearing a return to hostilities. Israel has cut off electricity to the enclave and conducted airstrikes over the weekend that resulted in at least 15 fatalities, according to Palestinian health officials.
The US has proposed that Hamas release the 27 remaining captives in the Gaza Strip in exchange for an extension of a temporary truce. Hamas, however, is demanding a permanent cessation of hostilities, as outlined in the January ceasefire agreement.
The Trump administration has voiced its support for Israel’s return to military action in Gaza. American diplomatic efforts were shaken when Adam Boehler, Trump’s former nominee for hostage affairs, recently met directly with Hamas in Doha, Qatar.
The White House announced that Boehler engaged in discussions with Hamas to secure the release of the last American hostage. However, the envoy publicly stated that he also talked about a potential truce lasting five to ten years, during which Hamas would renounce political activities, while the US and its Arab partners would oversee the demilitarization of Gaza.
These comments, along with Boehler’s assertion to CNN that he was open to future discussions with Hamas, provoked criticism from the Israeli government and pro-Israel lawmakers in the US. Consequently, Boehler was withdrawn as the nominee for hostage affairs on Friday.
The meeting also caused tensions with the UAE, as reported by Egyptian and US officials to MEE.
Advisors to Trump have shown mixed feelings regarding the Arab League’s post-war plan for Gaza.
During a visit to the region in March, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, refrained from endorsing the plan but referred to it as a “foundation for reconstruction efforts.”
US officials are currently reevaluating military aid to Egypt
Some officials from the US and Egypt believe that the Emirati initiative has already influenced US-Egyptian relations, with the US warning Egypt of a potential cut in military aid by 2026, according to an Egyptian official and a US official speaking to MEE.
The initial reports of the White House’s intention to reduce military assistance to Egypt were first published by the London-based news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed last week.
A US official informed MEE that Egypt has been made aware of the US’s review of its military assistance, but has not been explicitly told that any potential reduction would be contingent upon Egypt agreeing to the forced displacement of Palestinians.
The Trump administration has been implementing cuts to foreign aid globally. Both Egypt and Israel received exemptions from the 90-day suspension of American foreign assistance. Additionally, other Arab nations, including Lebanon, have also been granted exceptions in recent weeks.
In March, the Trump administration executed a plan initiated by the previous Biden administration to reallocate $95 million in military aid intended for Egypt to the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Last month, a group of former senior Egyptian officials traveled to Washington to engage with policymakers and think tanks, aiming to strengthen Egypt’s standing with the Trump administration. According to an Egyptian source familiar with the discussions, they did not address the US’s warnings during their public engagements.
Egyptian officials have conveyed to their US counterparts that it is mutually beneficial for both Israel and Egypt to preserve US aid, as reported by US and Egyptian officials to MEE.
They have also emphasized that this aid is a fundamental element of the Camp David Accords, which resulted in the peace treaty established in 1979 between the two countries.
However, there is growing skepticism among Egypt’s elite.
The military establishment in Egypt is currently experiencing significant frustration towards the United States for its allegations regarding Egypt’s inadequate management of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza. Republican Senator Jim Risch, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, previously criticized Egypt for allegedly undermining Israel’s efforts against Hamas in an interview with MEE.
Egypt receives $1.3 billion in military assistance annually, with the US already tying $300 million of that aid to human rights issues. The influence of the US over Egypt has waned since the signing of the peace treaty with Israel. In 1978, US aid accounted for six percent of Egypt’s GDP, but today it has dropped to less than half a percent. It remains uncertain whether the Trump administration considers this aid to be a valuable asset.
US officials have warned the White House that a reduction in aid could lead Egypt to seek military supplies from Russia or China, although Trump is currently reshaping US relations with Russia.
Egypt’s military aid is provided through foreign military financing, which allows the US to procure military equipment for Egypt from American defense contractors. In contrast, oil-rich Gulf states typically purchase American weaponry using their sovereign funds through foreign military sales.
Frenemies: UAE and Egypt
Complicating the situation further is the relationship between Egypt and the UAE, both of which regard Dahlan as a key power broker in the post-war landscape of Gaza.
Following the endorsement of the Egyptian-drafted plan by the Arab League, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas granted pardons to former Fatah officials living in exile.
This was largely interpreted as a signal to Dahlan, who served as Fatah’s enforcer in Gaza prior to Hamas’s victory in the Palestinian legislative elections of 2006. Following a fallout with Abbas in the occupied West Bank, Dahlan moved to the UAE.
According to MEE, the UAE is advocating for Dahlan to lead a committee that would govern Gaza and eventually succeed the aging Abbas as president.
Sisi maintains a strong relationship with Dahlan, and the UAE is a significant supporter of Sisi’s financially challenged government. In 2024, the UAE committed to a $35 billion investment in Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. However, the UAE and Egypt are backing rival factions in the ongoing civil war in Sudan.
Adding to the complexity, The Financial Times reported that the Trump administration is persistently urging Sudan and the unrecognized government of Somaliland to accept forcibly displaced Palestinians.
Peter Pham, the anticipated nominee for Africa Affairs at the State Department under the Trump administration, is a prominent advocate for both the UAE and Somaliland’s independence. The UAE plays a crucial role in Somaliland, where it trains local security forces and manages the primary port through its state-owned enterprise, DP World.
The Trump administration’s dismissive stance towards Egypt’s Gaza plan has frustrated career officials within the US State Department, who have observed that France, Germany, Italy, and Britain have all supported the framework.
American diplomats indicated that the White House was ignoring warnings from career officials against pressuring Egypt to accept forcibly displaced Palestinians, as previously reported by MEE.
Trump later retracted that demand after being persuaded not by US officials but during a private conversation with Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House in February. The following month, Trump told reporters, “Nobody is expelling any Palestinians.”
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