Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain have warned Washington that they will not finance Gaza’s reconstruction unless Hamas surrenders its weapons and relinquishes territorial control.
In a message sent to President Donald Trump’s envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, the Gulf states expressed frustration with what they described as a weak post-war enforcement plan that leaves Hamas intact.
It’s been reported that the warnings were delivered through formal channels.
Riyadh Draws a Red Line
A Saudi diplomatic source said the kingdom would not engage further without a “decisive U.S. response” and stronger pressure on Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey to compel Hamas’s compliance.
“As long as Hamas retains its weapons, we will not continue with the process,” the Saudi message stated.
Riyadh is reportedly scaling down its involvement and may boycott Egypt’s planned reconstruction conference in Sharm el-Sheikh next month.
Gulf officials argue that Hamas’s recent behaviour—armed street parades, extortion of merchants, and attacks on rivals—shows it is unfit to manage post-war Gaza.
A senior Saudi official went further, saying Hamas “has inflicted enormous harm on the Palestinian people” and “will sabotage any force that tries to restore order.”
UAE and Bahrain Take Similar Stance
The UAE confirmed it would continue limited humanitarian relief and small-scale rebuilding in southern Gaza, where Israeli forces remain in control.
However, it said broader reconstruction would only proceed if Hamas disarms and if international peacekeepers or transitional authorities assume full civilian and security control, as outlined in the Trump framework.
Bahrain has aligned itself with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, saying that funding reconstruction under Hamas’s watch would be “counterproductive.”
The tension was evident at the Sharm el-Sheikh ceremony, where neither Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman nor UAE leader Mohammed bin Zayed attended—a snub noted by Trump during his remarks.
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