Description
Dr Andreas Krieg, a leading expert on the Middle East and Senior Lecturer at King's College London's School of Security Studies, told MailOnline that Trump is likely trying to 'squeeze concessions from and twist the arms of regional powers' - a move described by critics as 'geopolitical blackmail'.'He's trying to make (Arab partners) come to the negotiation table and say, 'Okay, we're going to sort this out, we're going to pay for reconstruction, we'll take charge when it comes to rebuilding a governance, a structure authority',' Krieg said.
This tack would see Washington take the lead on reconstruction while working with regional powers and Palestinian politicians to hash out a future system of governance - an issue Krieg sees as one of the largest for post-war Palestine.
He reasoned that the US coming in would present an arguably better solution than the prospects currently on the table - an Israeli occupation of Gaza to 'fill the void' in the absence of a reasonable plan set forth by Arab leaders and the Gulf states, or Hamas ruling over the rubble.
Krieg was, however, very quick to point out that such an effort would be a huge undertaking for Washington and present a range of complex logisitical, operational and legal problems - not least the fact that Hamas still roams the Strip.
Krieg ultimately summed up his thoughts with a simple conclusion.
'It's very messy. And I can't see why Trump would want to own this mess.'
Trump may not actually aim to own the mess that is post-war Gaza, though - at least not in the literal sense of the word.
| Period | 6 Feb 2025 |
|---|---|
| Held at | Daily Mail, United Kingdom |
Keywords
- Gaza
- Trump