Palestinian Leader Mohammed Dahlan Manages Gaza Reconstruction from Abu Dhabi

Mohammed Dahlan, a prominent Palestinian figure exiled from Gaza, is currently directing the reconstruction and humanitarian aid efforts for Gaza from Abu Dhabi. A former security chief in Gaza and close confidant of former US President Donald Trump, Dahlan has invested over one billion dollars, combining his personal wealth and funding from the United Arab Emirates government, to support displaced Gazans since the outbreak of the recent conflict. He established a food and supplies network in Gaza, providing daily essentials amid an 80 percent unemployment rate and a largely paralyzed economy.

Dahlan, 64, originally from Khan Yunis, built his fortune through security consulting for governments, specializing in personal and facility protection. His career began as a Fatah officer trained by the Soviets, and he later served as head of Gaza’s preventive security and interior minister under Yasser Arafat. After falling out with Arafat and being ousted by Mahmoud Abbas, Dahlan relocated to Jordan and then the Gulf, where he cultivated support among Palestinians through humanitarian aid and political engagement.

Currently, Dahlan leads the National Democratic Current party, which is active in Gaza and involved in ceasefire negotiations with Egyptian intelligence. From Abu Dhabi, he advises the White House on how to engage with Hamas and has helped shape US policy favoring Gaza’s rehabilitation over Hamas’s elimination. He is also organizing a new Palestinian police force in Gaza, trained abroad and intended to replace Hamas’s security apparatus, tasked with maintaining order and disarming militias.

While Hamas cooperates with Dahlan for now, viewing him as a necessary intermediary with the US, they remain wary of his ultimate goal to supplant their control. Dahlan’s political stance is moderate and pragmatic, appealing to Palestinians seeking stability and distancing himself from the Palestinian Authority’s entrenched leadership. His growing influence and security force could challenge Hamas’s dominance in Gaza once reconstruction advances beyond humanitarian aid.

Dahlan’s role underscores the complex power dynamics in Gaza’s future, balancing humanitarian needs, political rivalry, and security restructuring amid ongoing conflict and international involvement.