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Saudi Arabia, UAE Demand Hamas Disarmament - Egypt, Qatar Oppose
(Israel Hayom) Danny Zaken - Saudi Arabia and the UAE refuse to participate financially or practically in Egypt's plan for Gaza's reconstruction unless it is guaranteed that Hamas will not be part of the governing body and will surrender its weapons, Arab and American sources say, following discussions in Riyadh on Thursday and Friday. The Saudis and Emiratis say that Hamas is responsible for the war and its devastating consequences for Gaza's residents. As a result, they will not fund any reconstruction plan that does not include the full demilitarization of the Strip. One official stated, "Not a single rifle or bullet should remain in the hands of Hamas in Gaza, because otherwise, the Strip will be destroyed over and over again, even after it is rebuilt." Egypt attempted to argue that integrating Hamas members into governance could help "tame" the group, but they were met with the question if they succeeded in "taming" the Muslim Brotherhood, el-Sisi's main opposition in Egypt.