The conflict in Gaza has intensified diplomatic strain between the United States and key Gulf allies, as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates publicly rejected a U.S.-backed proposal to relocate Palestinians from the enclave, according to statements issued by both governments in early March 2024.
On March 5, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that any plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza would be “unacceptable” and a violation of international law, emphasizing that the Palestinian question must be resolved based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state. The UAE followed suit the next day, with its Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khalifa Shaheen al Marar, telling reporters in Abu Dhabi that “forced transfer of civilians under occupation is a war crime” and that the Emirates would not support any initiative that undermines the Palestinian right to return or self-determination.
These positions directly countered remarks made by U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs David Satterfield during a March 4 briefing at the State Department, where he suggested that temporary humanitarian corridors could be established to move civilians out of Rafah amid ongoing Israeli military operations, framing it as a measure to prevent further loss of life. Satterfield did not specify destinations but noted that regional partners had been consulted on logistical feasibility.
The divergence marks a rare public break in alignment between Washington and two of its closest Arab partners on core Palestinian policy since the October 7 attacks. While both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have maintained backchannel coordination with the U.S. On security and intelligence matters throughout the conflict, their public refusal to endorse displacement proposals signals a red line on what they view as irreversible demographic change in Gaza.
Diplomatic sources familiar with internal Gulf deliberations told Reuters on March 6 that Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have privately conveyed to Washington that any plan perceived as facilitating permanent removal of Palestinians from Gaza would jeopardize broader normalization efforts, including Saudi Arabia’s conditioned interest in joining the Abraham Accords. The UAE, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020, has similarly warned that its domestic legitimacy and regional standing depend on visible advocacy for Palestinian rights.
In response, the U.S. National Security Council declined to characterize the Gulf states’ statements as a rejection of U.S. Policy, instead stating in a March 7 email to journalists that “the United States continues to operate closely with partners across the region to ensure humanitarian aid reaches civilians in Gaza and to advance a durable peace based on two states living side by side.” The NSC did not address whether the relocation concept remains under active consideration.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reported on March 8 that over 1.7 million people in Gaza — more than 75% of the population — remain displaced within the strip, with no safe zones designated and humanitarian access increasingly restricted by ongoing combat and bureaucratic delays at Israeli checkpoints.
As of March 10, no further truce negotiations have been publicly scheduled between Israeli and Hamas delegations, despite repeated calls from the UN Security Council and the Arab League for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. The Egyptian-mediated talks, which had produced a temporary pause in hostilities in late February, remain stalled over disagreements regarding the release of Israeli hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Philadelphi Corridor along Gaza’s southern border.
