The UAE has increasingly used its media and political networks in recent weeks to promote a project centred on dismantling the Palestinian resistance in Gaza, amid escalating pressure aimed at imposing the forced displacement of the Strip’s population as a precursor to disarming resistance factions.
Abu Dhabi has openly supported Israeli plans to establish temporary displacement communities in the destroyed city of Rafah in southern Gaza and in other areas under Israeli control.
According to the article, the objective behind these projects is to relocate displaced Palestinians from Gaza while creating conditions that would later facilitate pressure to strip the resistance of its weapons.
Ahmed Khatib and the UAE Narrative
One of the most prominent figures promoting this agenda is Palestinian American writer Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, who reportedly maintains ties with Emirati government circles, particularly UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
In posts published on his official social media accounts, Khatib promoted the idea that the UAE supports the construction of alternative residential communities in southern Gaza as what he described as a “first step toward recovery”.
He claimed that Palestinian resistance factions were preventing workers and contractors approved by the “American Peace Council” and Israeli authorities from crossing the “yellow line” into southern Gaza, where temporary communities are reportedly planned.
According to Khatib, the UAE has long supported these efforts as a way of offering civilians “an alternative to permanent misery” while broader political and reconstruction issues remain unresolved.
He further argued that the only meaningful temporary step is the gradual transfer of civilians away from areas under Hamas control in order to prevent the movement from using the suffering of Gaza’s population as leverage to secure regional and international concessions that preserve its rule.
Comparing Gaza to Mosul and Raqqa
Khatib also criticised European and international development initiatives that, in his view, continue to reinforce Hamas rule by ignoring the movement’s control over what he called the “red zone” west of the yellow line.
He promoted what he described as an alternative strategy modelled on the US led coalition campaigns in Mosul and Raqqa against ISIS, arguing that civilians should first be removed from resistance controlled areas before military confrontation and reconstruction efforts begin.
Khatib is widely known for his public opposition to Hamas and Palestinian resistance factions, as well as his support for the so called “two state solution” and gradual normalisation between Palestinians and Israelis.
He currently serves as a senior fellow at Atlantic Council and leads a project called “Realign for Palestine”, which the article says has received funding linked to the UAE Foreign Ministry.
His repeated appearances on platforms associated with pro-Israel lobbying circles and participation in dialogue events alongside Israeli and American figures supportive of normalisation have previously sparked widespread criticism among Palestinians and across the Arab world.
Emirati Funding for Displacement Projects
Months earlier, informed diplomatic sources reportedly revealed an agreement between the UAE and the Israeli government under which Abu Dhabi would fund projects in southern Gaza through the Emirati Red Crescent.
According to the sources, the purpose of these projects is to prepare shelter zones for future forced displacement operations.
Analysts cited in the article described the arrangement as part of a broader Israeli Emirati strategy aimed at preparing southern Gaza to receive new waves of forced displacement following the widespread destruction caused by Israel’s genocidal war across northern and central Gaza.
The ultimate objective, according to the analysis, is to pave the way for mass displacement of Palestinians outside the Strip.
Secret Abu Dhabi Meetings
Israeli public broadcaster reports stated that Ron Dermer led a senior Israeli delegation during a secret visit to Abu Dhabi in August 2025.
During the visit, Dermer reportedly met UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and senior Emirati officials.
Discussions reportedly focused on Gaza and practical arrangements for projects publicly framed as “humanitarian”, but which critics argue carry a clear geopolitical dimension tied to facilitating forced displacement inside Gaza.
Humanitarian Branding and Political Cover
Despite widespread international condemnation of Israel’s actions in Gaza, the UAE has continued deepening its alliance and normalisation process with Israel, a move many observers describe as full alignment with the broader Israeli American regional agenda.
Analysts argue that allowing Emirati funded projects to operate under Israeli security supervision provides the occupation with political cover to market itself as a “partner in solutions”, while it continues imposing siege, starvation, and military attacks on Gaza’s population.
At the same time, the UAE is portrayed as playing the role of financier and media promoter through its official institutions and aligned media networks, presenting these projects as humanitarian initiatives while avoiding mention of the broader displacement and demographic engineering project unfolding under Israeli control.
