Lasting peace in Middle East hinges on Gaza

Washington has leaned on the UAE and Qatar for the ongoing crisis in the Gaza, especially pertaining to the issue of hostages exchange between Israel and Hamas. 
| Photo Credit:
MAHMOUD ISSA

American President Donald Trump has yet another opportunity to leave his mark in the Middle East, a region that is consuming a lot of his time internationally and otherwise. His trip to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar has expectedly set off tongues wagging of ignoring traditional allies like Canada, Mexico or NATO for the first of his overseas visit. For a person who likes to follow his own style, Trump would not have lost any sleep on account of what critics have had to say, especially if they were Democrats.

What is important in Trump’s stop in three critical countries has to be seen not just in optics and atmospherics. Yes, some of the substance will be focused on trade, tariffs and investments. And if he is able to persuade the Saudi Crown Prince to up his investment plans in the US from $600 billion to $1 trillion, in areas such as energy. It also goes much farther than how many Boeing jets purchase could be squeezed out of these three rich nations.

Economics apart, some in the Middle East have become crucial players in Trump’s global scheme of things. The 47th President has a pointed role for Saudi Arabia in the Ukraine talks between Moscow and Kyiv; Washington has leaned on the UAE and Qatar for the ongoing crisis in the Gaza, especially pertaining to the issue of hostages exchange between Israel and Hamas. The fact that Washington was able to recently strike a deal of sorts with the Houthis against attacking American ships point to a silent but prominent role of actors in the area.

The Iran factor

Iran is a major source of concern to many in a region that is not fully convinced of what exactly Washington is trying to do over and beyond coming to terms with Teheran’s nuclear plans and ambitions. Starting with the Shia-Sunni divide, the apprehension list is long vis-à-vis Iran that would include support to radical and terrorist outfits, strategic implications in the event of the Hormuz shutdown and generally arming and using militant outfits to strike at Saudi Arabia’s oil refineries. And most important in an immediate perspective is the support lent by Iran to the Hamas in the ongoing Israeli offensives in the Gaza.

At a minimum, Arab states that President Trump is visiting will want their visitor to pay attention to a plan they have for the Gaza. Nations in the area have long rejected the idea of flattening of that small strip of land and making it into some kind of a vacation paradise overlooking the Mediterranean. That somehow the 2.3 million Gazans could be driven into neighbouring countries like Egypt and Jordan was also a non-starter. Instead, Arab nations are pushing for an idea that will have a Palestinian governing committee to oversee Gaza without any Hamas participation; a peacekeeping force under the aegis of the United Nations and eventually a Palestinian security force for the area that will be trained by Cairo and Amman.

Saudi Arabia and others in the region know that for their plan to get off the ground, it would need the backing of Washington. Extremists in the coalition government are pressuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a new ground offensive for a complete takeover and in the process junk whatever is left of a two-nation aspiration. As a former UN official Zizette Darkazally has said, “If there is no political process, Israel will reoccupy the Gaza Strip. … For the US, its credibility and interests in the region would be further undermined, and Trump’s second term will be forever associated with entrenching illegal occupation and heightening regional tensions.”

The writer is a senior journalist who has reported from Washington DC on North America and United Nations

Published on May 11, 2025

📰 Crime Today News is proudly sponsored by DRYFRUIT & CO – A Brand by eFabby Global LLC

Design & Developed by Yes Mom Hosting