Trump Pushes Gaza Stabilization With Al Thani, Local Militias Reject Qatari, Turkish Role

US President Donald Trump met Saturday with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani aboard Air Force One during a refueling in Doha, praising the Gulf leader for helping maintain “a safe Middle East” while underscoring ongoing US efforts to stabilize Gaza. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, said he does not foresee a permanent division of Gaza and outlined plans for an international stabilization force alongside Israeli-led reconstruction efforts.

Trump called the emir “one of the great rulers of the world, not just the Middle East,” and praised Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani as “a friend to the world.” “We have done a lot together, especially in the last year… Peace to the Middle East, and they were a very big factor in it,” Trump said.

Rubio, speaking from the Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel, noted that Israeli troops have withdrawn to a “Yellow Line,” leaving them in control of roughly half of Gaza. Reconstruction aid will initially focus on that area. An international stabilization force, which the US and regional mediators are working to establish, would enforce security across Gaza. “I think, ultimately, the point of the stabilization force is to move that line until it covers hopefully all of Gaza, meaning all of Gaza will be demilitarized,” Rubio said. “Ultimately, the more of Gaza is demilitarized, the more of Gaza terrorism is removed from, the more of it is going to look like that green zone — and that line will move as a result of it. That’s the long-term plan.”

Rubio emphasized that Israel has no interest in permanently occupying Gaza and that Hamas, which governed the Strip before the war, will have no role in future governance. Despite the ceasefire, Hamas has resisted disarmament calls, cracking down on rival Palestinian groups since the truce began two weeks ago. Moussa Abu Marzouk, Hamas’s head of international relations and legal affairs, warned that excluding Hamas from Gaza’s stabilization could “lead to chaos and a security vacuum.”

Leaders of anti-Hamas militias in Gaza’s Israeli-controlled areas voiced opposition to any Qatari or Turkish involvement in post-war Gaza. Hussam al-Astal, leader of a militia in Khan Younis, accused Turkey of supporting and protecting Hamas and labeled both Turkey and Qatar as “war criminals.” “Anyone who helps us against Hamas will be welcomed,” he said, emphasizing that Hamas, not Israel, is responsible for civilian deaths in Gaza.

Rasan al-Dahini, a senior figure in Yasser Abu Shabab’s militia in Rafah, echoed al-Astal’s criticism, saying Turkey “openly and explicitly supports Hamas” and denying that his militia would flee Gaza once the IDF withdraws, as some militias did in Lebanon in 2000. He also stressed that weapons obtained by his group will not be used against Israel in the future.

Palestinian factions, including Hamas, have agreed to form a technocratic committee to oversee Gaza alongside the international ceasefire and reconstruction effort. Rubio said he expects General Dan Caine, the top US military officer, to visit Israel next week to further the process.

Rubio’s visit follows US Vice President JD Vance’s trip to Israel last week.