A breakthrough in the Gaza crisis looks closer now with the visit of Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad to the UAE, immediately after a meeting in Doha between Israeli and US intelligence chiefs with Qatari officials. UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan warmly greeted Sheikh Tamim at the airport and indications are that some Israeli hostages could be released by Hamas as soon as Tel Aviv pauses its military offensive, albeit temporarily. Unlike what policy wonks in the region have claimed in the past month, it is not Iran but Qatar and the UAE that have led the peace offensive after Hamas’s brutal attack on Israel on October 7 led to all-out war in Gaza.
Qatar has hosted Hamas leaders in Doha for decades while the UAE has leverage with the Israelis, thanks to the Abraham Accords of 2020. The two countries have used their diplomatic clout to bring a ceasefire within sight and give suffering civilians in both Gaza and Israel some hope and respite from the relentless attacks that have seen more than 10,000 people dead and Gaza in ruins. Diplomacy has been given a chance and the UAE and Qatar have pursued it with all the power at their disposal. The UAE President has been on call with world leaders for over a month since the crisis erupted and has expressed his concerns at the mounting civilian toll while ensuring relief reaches the people in Gaza.
A short ceasefire and the release of some hostages is a start in what will be a rocky road to peace. There’s a long way to go for a permanent cessation of hostilities. For now, the guns will be silenced, and the bombs will stop raining down on Gaza and Israel. The UAE and Qatar have shown that negotiations indeed work. They are the diplomatic stalwarts in a region that yearns for peace.
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