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Arab Leaders Are Struggling to Agree on Hamas's Future Role in Gaza

(Wall Street Journal) Summer Said - As Arab leaders look to extend the ceasefire in Gaza and come up with an alternative to President Trump's plan, they are being forced to deal with a question they have long avoided: What to do with Hamas. If Hamas remains in Gaza, Israel isn't willing to end the war, and Gulf Arab states like the UAE aren't willing to fund its reconstruction. Egypt thinks it is unrealistic to talk about eliminating Hamas. Arab leaders are set to meet in Cairo on Tuesday to craft a plan for Gaza's future, after failing to agree on one at a summit in Riyadh on Feb. 21. Saudi Arabia and Qatar back an Egyptian plan that would see Hamas disarm but play a political role running postwar Gaza along with other Palestinian factions. The UAE wants Hamas completely out. Israel has told mediators it doesn't want Hamas playing any role in postwar Gaza, a demand backed by Washington. Egypt also wants Hamas and other Palestinian factions to hand over missiles and rockets that could be used to attack Israel, said Egyptian officials. The arms would be stored at depots under Egyptian and European supervision until a Palestinian state is established, they said. But Hamas's senior negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, categorically refused the proposal.
2025-03-04 00:00:00
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