Brett McGurk, a top White House official, has been quietly pushing a day-after plan for Gaza that would see a more active role played by Saudi Arabia, the Huffington Post reported on Friday.
McGurk's idea for Gaza's future would involve reconstruction aid being sent by Saudi Arabia, and possibly other wealthy Gulf countries, to pressure Hamas and the Palestinian Authority to step down so that new leadership could take power. The new leadership would have a less volatile relationship with Israel and, in exchange, Israel would accept a more limited role in Gaza.
The plan would require the long-desired normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, the Post wrote. US President Joe Biden has followed in his predecessor's footsteps, stating the pact's potential benefits for the region.
Unnamed experts told the Post that Saudi Arabia would struggle to embrace Israel, given how Arab states have publicly and deeply aligned themselves with Palestinians.
One of the most controversial aspects of McGurk's plan is the timeline of only 90 days.