With UAE Funding and Support: How Dahlan is Preparing for the ‘Day After’ in Gaza

The dismissed Fatah leader and UAE-aligned figure, Mohammed Dahlan, has become a prominent name in the media, often cited as the leading candidate to take control of Gaza, “after the war or even during it,” based on the assumption that the Israeli Occupation “will succeed” in destroying Hamas' governmental capabilities in Gaza.

Walla Hebrew website reported on a U.S.-Israeli-Emirati meeting held in Abu Dhabi on July 23, 2024, regarding the "UAE's role in Gaza after the war ends," during which “Israel” requested the deployment of armed forces to the Strip to manage it “the day after,” rebuild it, and alter the Palestinian curriculum to be aligned with Israeli interests.

Israeli Orders

The website reported that the spearhead in executing this plan would be Mohammed Dahlan, leveraging the resources and followers he has in Gaza.

On July 14, 2024, Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (Kan) revealed that Dahlan, the former head of the security apparatus most cooperative with “Israel” (Preventive Security Force), was identified as a potential candidate by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu.

Previously, on April 3, 2024, Israeli War Minister Yoav Gallant, who has been leading the genocidal war on Gaza, announced his nomination of Dahlan and his supporters in Gaza to oversee the receipt and distribution of aid throughout the Strip. Observers interpreted this as the first step toward placing Dahlan in control of Gaza.

The Wall Street Journal confirmed that Dahlan is the figure many Israeli and American officials, along with some Arab leaders, wish to see managing Gaza, and they are exerting pressure to make this happen.

Dahlan is known in Gaza as the most brutal figure against the Palestinian Resistance Movement (Hamas) through the Preventive Security Force, which he founded in 1994. Its clear mission was to stop the Martyrdom operations and suppress Hamas and any opposition to the Palestinian Authority until 2003. He was also responsible for 10 security branches within the Palestinian security apparatus.

He was accused of establishing the Death Squad, which was responsible for eliminating his opponents in Gaza and the West Bank, including officials, journalists, and activists. This squad played a significant role in exacerbating the security chaos in Gaza from 2004 to 2007.

On the ground, amid the ongoing and intense Israeli aggression for the past 10 months, it has become evident that Dahlan is indeed preparing to take control of Gaza.

Dahlan is leveraging UAE-provided humanitarian aid and tents to rehabilitate his image among Gaza’s residents, positioning himself as the leader who will save them from devastation, hunger, and poverty.

This effort is supported by what is known as the Democratic Reform Bloc in the Fatah movement, founded by Dahlan and other Fatah leaders who broke away from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, serving as a promotional tool for the new leader.

Winning Loyalty

Since January 2024, there has been a noticeable surge in activity by the  Democratic Reform Bloc, particularly in relief efforts, evacuating stranded students for study abroad, and constructing camps in Rafah and al-Mawasi area. These camps are filled with UAE tents and equipped with basic services and a sewage system, with a Dahlan loyalist overseeing each camp.

The Bloc has also been working to bolster its ranks with large numbers of young people, both from the Fatah movement and neutral parties, holding intensive meetings in the northern and southern parts of the Gaza Strip.

Sources informed Al-Estiklal that new members of the Democratic Reform Bloc receive a salary, which varies depending on their location, with those in the north of the Strip earning more than those in the south.

The camp manager is responsible for filming videos of the displaced residents in the camps, where they express gratitude to the UAE and Dahlan. These videos are then organized for media interviews with UAE outlets, in exchange for the families being allowed to keep their tents.

The distribution of UAE aid is entrusted to the Democratic Reform Bloc, but instead of being given to the general displaced population, it is used to win new loyalty to the Bloc, according to displaced residents in al-Mawasi area.

Mohammed al-Zar, a displaced person from the northern Gaza Strip who moved to al-Mawasi area, reported being denied a tent and aid in a camp managed by Dahlan’s supporters, as he was a government employee and an active Fatah member in the north. He eventually left the camp after staying there for a month.

Al-Zar told Al-Estiklal that “the camp is filled with UAE flags and photos of Dahlan and his wife Jalila. There is even a tent called the 'Cultural Tent' where Dahlan’s biography is shown through a documentary, along with his speeches and videos of UAE relief activities around the world.”

“The camp manager orders the displaced men to carry out forced labor, like cleaning, in exchange for promises of jobs after the war."

“Beyond that, there is widespread corruption within the Democratic Reform Bloc. While we were denied aid, boxes of food supplies bearing the UAE flag were being sold wholesale in the markets, packed in sealed containers. This means they were sold directly upon arrival and not purchased from the displaced people who received them,” he added.

Military Force

As aid continues to flow to Dahlan’s supporters and his promotion inside Gaza is facilitated, it seems “Israel” is interested in establishing a military force for him within the Gaza Strip. This would involve reinstating his armed groups that existed in the Strip before Hamas took control in 2007.

According to Israeli I24news channel on July 28, 2024, discussions are underway to form an armed force under Dahlan’s command, initially comprising 2,500 security personnel. Their mission would be to coordinate with the international force that will enter the Strip after the Israeli withdrawal, with the United States and “Israel” having the right to vet the members of this force.

The channel reported that this force could expand and gain more authority under Dahlan’s leadership, operating entirely independently of the Palestinian Authority and potentially serving as the nucleus for a separate administration in Gaza, distinct from the West Bank.

A police official in Deir al-Balah, who requested anonymity due to concerns of being targeted by the Israeli Occupation, stated, "Currently, many forces are emerging on the ground in Gaza, each trying to carve out its place, including Fatah, the Democratic Reform Current, Salafists, other organizations, and influential large families. Some have claimed certain areas as their domain."

The security official told Al-Estiklal that "the Democratic Reform Bloc existed before the war, with offices, associations, and supporters. It was allowed to operate in Gaza, but in recent months, it has begun to operate differently, forming armed groups under the pretext of securing UAE aid and displacement camps, which raises suspicion."

He emphasized that "the direct targeting of police officers and their homes by the Israeli Occupation has contributed to the emergence of these armed groups and the proliferation of family weapons, leading to a state of lawlessness. The latest crime by the Israeli Occupation against them was the bombing of a car carrying 11 policemen on July 31, 2024, as they were on their way to break up a fight between two families in the town of az-Zawayda in the central Gaza Strip, resulting in the death of all officers.”

“We are not currently investigating the motives behind the formation of armed groups by this or that political faction or family. Instead, we are focusing our efforts on ensuring security within the Strip and thwarting the Israeli Occupation’s attempts to kill us and entrench chaos and lawlessness.”

Egyptian Cooperation

The Democratic Reform Bloc provided an opportunity for stranded students in Gaza to leave the Strip for free, bypassing the exorbitant fees charged by Hala Company, owned by Mahmoud el-Sisi, the son of the head of the Egyptian regime, and Sinai businessman Ibrahim al-Arjani. The fee typically exceeds $5,000 per traveler.

Since the establishment of the Bloc, the Sisi regime has granted Dahlan extensive authority at the Rafah crossing, as a form of influential power over Gaza. This support has noticeably increased during the Israeli assault on the people of Gaza.

These actions are accompanied by extensive media campaigns promoting Dahlan and the role he plays in alleviating the suffering of the residents of the Strip amid the ongoing genocide.

Pro-Dahlan channels have documented visits, financial grants, and gifts from leaders of the Bloc to the injured receiving treatment in Egypt, as well as to families who managed to leave the Strip.

Observers believe that these steps, coupled with massive media coverage on Dahlan’s affiliated outlets, as well as UAE, Saudi, and Egyptian media, and promotional campaigns on social media platforms, aim to portray him as “the sole leader caring for the people of Gaza.”

Since October 7, 2023, “Israel,” with the support of the United States and other countries, has launched an assault on Gaza, resulting in more than 133,000 martyrs and wounded, mostly women and children, and around 10,000 missing amid widespread famine and total destruction.

The Israeli Occupation continues this assault, ignoring a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt its attacks on Rafah and to take immediate measures to prevent genocide and improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.