A senior Israeli official has revealed that Saudi Arabia, which had backed Israeli positions and stressed the dismantling of Hamas as a core condition, has scaled back its involvement in talks over Gaza's future. At the same time, Israel now finds itself facing a coalition of Turkey, Qatar and Egypt, all of which are working in various ways to keep Hamas politically relevant.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's recent comments disparaging Saudi involvement, saying, "Let the Saudis ride camels", dealt a serious blow to both negotiations with the kingdom on future diplomatic arrangements and Israel's broader standing in ceasefire talks, A senior Israeli official told Israel Hayom. The fallout prompted a particularly harsh conversation between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office and Smotrich, which led the minister to issue a public apology.
According to the official, Riyadh had aligned with the majority of Israel's demands, insisting—as Israel does—that any future arrangement begin with Hamas being dismantled of its weapons. "The Saudis have now reduced their participation in these talks to a minimum. It's not only because of Smotrich, but his comments certainly pushed them in that direction," the official said. "Israel is now dealing with a bloc that includes Turkey, Qatar and Egypt—countries interested in preserving Hamas' role in Gaza to varying degrees and refusing to pressure it to disarm.
"The issue of Hamas' weaponry remains the defining red line for the deal that ended the war. In recent days, countries that were expected to deploy forces to help stabilize the Gaza Strip have made it clear they will not do so as long as Hamas retains its weapons. (Read More)
