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Local sources from Israel: ynet ידיעות אחרונות, גלובס.
UK coverage: The Guardian.

Israeli officials are presenting policy proposals on Gaza to appease the US ahead of a meeting between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The US has been supportive of Israel during its recent conflict with Hamas but wants concessions to lower tensions and prevent further conflict in the region. However, critics argue that the Israeli proposals lack detail and commitment. Netanyahu has also faced criticism for refusing to engage in detailed planning for the governance of Gaza and rejecting the US’s preferred options.

The unity of the Arab Emirates is pushing for international efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as discussions focus on the question of who will rebuild and govern Gaza after the war between Israel and Hamas. The Arab country of the United Arab Emirates, a wealthy oil-rich state in the Persian Gulf, will provide political and financial support for the reconstruction of Gaza’s infrastructure with American backing for a two-state solution, according to Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE ambassador to the UN, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

The Biden administration and the UAE support a two-state solution. The administration rejected calls for Israel to stop fighting in Gaza before achieving its goal of eliminating Hamas, which led a deadly attack on October 7 that killed over 1,200 people in Israel, most of them civilians. Nusseibeh said that the UAE, a security partner of the US with an American air force base housing 5,000 soldiers and established official relations with Israel in 2020, privately shared its position with the parties involved in the conflict. Now the country is publicly stating its position that the war needs to lead to the end of the broader conflict and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The Defense Minister of Israel, Yoav Galant, established several principles and interests for Israel regarding the day after in the Strip. From a security perspective, Hamas will not control the Gaza Strip and will not pose a security threat to Israeli citizens, allowing for the full military operation in the Strip. There will be no restrictions on the operation of the military force. From a civilian perspective, Israel will relinquish civilian responsibility for the Strip, where there will be no Israeli civilian presence after the war goals are achieved.

The Arab Emirates seeks to balance its stated commitment to the Palestinians and its public sympathy for their aspirations to end Israeli occupation, with its new ties to Israel and support from the US in the region. The country has sent humanitarian aid worth tens of millions of dollars, including basic food supplies and equipment for tents, and last week opened a field hospital inside the Gaza Strip due to the local healthcare system being in crisis.

The UAE condemns Hamas attacks but calls for an end to the occupation. The country is also pushing for a roadmap for a two-state solution, which should include nations like Egypt and Jordan, as well as other Arab countries with relations with Israel, European countries, and several Muslim-majority countries from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Without a roadmap for a two-state solution, the UAE will not be so invested in reconstruction, and it will also have an impact on Israel.

The war in Gaza puts the United Arab Emirates in an uncomfortable position, but the country is committed to finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The UAE is calling for a ceasefire, including at the UN Security Council, and is pushing for a roadmap for a two-state solution that will lead to the end of the broader conflict and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Without a resolution, the UAE will not be so invested in reconstruction, and it will also have an impact on Israel.