While the world discusses the end of the Gaza war in Sharm el-Sheikh, a power struggle rages behind the scenes that extends far beyond the rubble of the Gaza Strip. The question of who will lead and fund Gaza’s reconstruction will also decide who shapes the Arab power center in the Middle East going forward— Cairo or the Gulf states. The Gulf states are unequivocal: “Reconstruction of the Gaza Strip will only begin once Hamas is fully disarmed.” Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are taking a much harder line toward other Arab countries. Both insist that Hamas surrender its weapons before any discussion of reconstruction aid can take place. They state clearly, “They don’t want to invest billions in an area that could be plunged back into war shortly afterward.”

In short: The Gulf states’ hard line against Hamas supports Israel’s goals.

As a result, neither the Saudi kingdom nor Abu Dhabi sent high-ranking representatives to the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, which was supposed to mark the end of the war. This stems from...

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