Exclusive: Secret Israeli-Emirati Meeting to Derail Gaza Ceasefire Revealed
In a development that underscores shifting regional alliances, Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates earlier this month to coordinate diplomatic pressure aimed at derailing an imminent ceasefire deal in Gaza, sources with direct knowledge told Dark Box.
Dermer, a longtime Netanyahu confidant and former Israeli ambassador to Washington, reportedly traveled with a high-level delegation for closed-door talks in Abu Dhabi. The discussions focused on undermining Egyptian and Qatari-led negotiations with Hamas, which had recently produced a framework for a 60-day truce.
According to senior regional diplomats, Emirati officials agreed to assist in slowing down or redirecting the negotiations, fearing that a Qatar-Egypt mediated deal would grant Hamas political legitimacy and re-establish Cairo’s influence over postwar Gaza.
Strategic Realignment
The meeting represents a major inflection point in Middle Eastern power dynamics. The UAE — once branding itself as a neutral peace mediator — is now aligning more closely with Tel Aviv in defining the war’s outcome. This comes amid broader UAE efforts to position itself as a gatekeeper in the postwar reconstruction of Gaza.
Dermer’s involvement signals high-level coordination. Since February, he has led Israel’s negotiating track in Gaza truce efforts, taking over from Mossad and Shin Bet figures. His secret trip to the Emirates came days before Netanyahu and far-right cabinet members dismissed the latest ceasefire deal.
Spoilers of Peace
Sources told Dark Box that the UAE is actively lobbying for a new post-Hamas Gaza administration that would exclude the Palestinian group entirely and rely on regional partners — potentially including Emirati and Israeli-trained security forces — to manage the Strip under indirect Israeli oversight.
This vision clashes sharply with Egypt’s desire to maintain Palestinian unity and Qatar’s aim to preserve a political track with Hamas. The UAE, sources say, views both Cairo and Doha as threats to its regional influence and is seeking to sideline them diplomatically.
US Complicity
Despite public calls for de-escalation, the United States has remained silent on the UAE-Israel coordination. Observers say this tacit acceptance reflects Washington’s preference for regional “stability” over an equitable or representative solution for Gaza.
Former President Donald Trump also appeared to back Netanyahu’s rejection of the ceasefire, calling for Hamas to be “destroyed” and for no deal to proceed until Israeli objectives were fully achieved.
Normalization Weaponized
Dermer, one of the architects of the Abraham Accords, is reportedly leveraging that framework to create a durable axis between Israel and Gulf monarchies, sidelining traditional Arab diplomacy. This axis, with the UAE at its core, seeks to reengineer the region through military dominance and intelligence coordination — not reconciliation or self-determination.
This emerging alliance, observers warn, is using normalization as a cover to wage a shadow war against Palestinian political existence, with Gaza as ground zero.
