Gulf countries back Trump's Gaza plan even without Hamas agreement

By Fiona MacDonald and Peter Martin 

Gulf nations look increasingly intent on pushing ahead with US President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza regardless of whether Hamas accepts it or not. 

A consensus is forming on the need to move forward with the day-after plan for the Palestinian enclave, denying Hamas a veto, people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing ongoing negotiations said. Even if, the people added, regional players still hope the Iran-backed militant group will accept the proposal.  

The emerging stance highlights the emphasis Gulf capitals are putting on tempering regional instability as they move forward with plans for economic development such as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. It also reflects the motivation to respond to pressure from its citizens to stop the war, which has all but destroyed the seaside strip that’s home to some 2 million Palestinians and led a United Nations-backed monitor to declare a famine in parts of the territory. 

 

Trump gave Hamas until 6 p.m. ET on Sunday to respond to his administration’s plan, warning of harsh consequences should the group fail to accept. 

“An Agreement must be reached with Hamas by Sunday Evening at SIX (6) P.M., Washington, D.C. time,” Trump said in a social-media post on Friday. “Every Country has signed on! If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas.” 

A response to the proposal is expected “very soon,” a senior Hamas official told Qatar-based Al Jazeera TV earlier in the day. He added the group is “looking for gray areas” to work with, signaling it’s unlikely to simply take it or leave it outright. 

One Gulf official described Trump’s proposal as the best since the beginning of the war and said no one is willing to squander the opportunity.  

“The mood is to welcome the Trump initiative because of the general atmosphere of pessimism in the Middle East,” former Egyptian foreign minister Amr Moussa said at the Munich Security Conference in Saudi Arabia. 

Trump’s plan would see the Israeli army declare safe zones cleared of operatives from Hamas — an organization the US and European Union designate as terrorist — where rebuilding would begin, the people said. One person said the plan, which demands Hamas surrender and lay down its arms, was never tailored with the group in mind.  

The intent to keep the plan from being derailed by Hamas is explicitly referenced in the text, with article 17 stating that, if the group delays or rejects the proposal, the roadmap outlined will still proceed in areas Israel deems clear. 

Gulf officials acknowledge the plan is imperfect and vague in places, highlighting the need to expand on details like timelines, funding and the logistics of sending peacemakers into an active war zone. Still, they say the time has come to end the fighting.  

Moving ahead without buy-in from Hamas may prove exceptionally complicated, leaving open the possibility of militant attacks inside designated safe zones. Moves by Iran and its regional allies — particularly the Yemen-based Houthis — are also a risk.  

Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al-Houthi accused Arab and Muslim leaders of committing “treason” by endorsing Trump’s Gaza plan, according to a televised speech Thursday. He called it “completely impermissible for Arabs to become a tool in the hand of the American and Israelis to exert pressure on the Palestinian people and its resistance forces.” 

Despite the risks, there’s a generalized sentiment in favor of the proposal. 

“It’s now really difficult for the spoilers in this process to maintain the narrative,” said Benedikt Franke, CEO of the Munich Security Conference. “There is some excitement.” 

The US proposal is the latest in a series of failed attempts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, paving the way for challenging day-after arrangements. The current iteration was backed from Arab states and Muslim-majority governments.  

The Trump administration backed away from its earlier so-called riviera proposal — which included a highly controversial resettlement of Gazans — and said it will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. The new plan states Hamas will be removed from any future governance role in Gaza and an unreformed Palestinian Authority will be barred from stepping in – key priorities for the United Arab Emirates. 

“There’s no guarantee the current plan moves forward, with neither Hamas nor Israel publicly agreeing to it yet,” said Bader Al-Saif, assistant professor at Kuwait University and an associate fellow at Chatham House. “I don’t see Gulf states pushing anything that doesn’t provide clear guarantees and a timetable, and that requires adding further details to the plan.”