Shin Bet Director David Zini met with former Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan during a recent visit to the United Arab Emirates, Kan News reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, the sensitive meeting indicates the acceleration of behind-the-scenes contacts between the Israeli defense establishment and moderate figures in the Arab world regarding the day after the war in Gaza.
The Shin Bet commented on the report: "We do not address the agency director's schedule."
Dahlan served in the past as the head of Palestinian Authority counterintelligence in the Gaza Strip and is considered a bitter enemy of the Hamas terrorist organization, which expelled him and his men from the enclave during the violent uprising in 2007.
After a bitter conflict with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Dahlan was removed from Fatah and went into prolonged exile in Abu Dhabi. Over the years, he became a close and influential advisor to UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and manages an extensive network of political connections.
In July 2024, the Wall Street Journal reported that US, Israeli, and Arab officials identified Dahlan as the leading and most agreed-upon candidate to take over civil and security control of the Gaza Strip the day after the collapse of the Hamas regime. This is particularly due to his proven ability to command armed security forces and the massive economic support he is expected to receive from the Gulf States.
Despite repeated reports of him being the West's preferred solution, Dahlan himself maintains diplomatic ambiguity and distances himself from any public declaration that would present him as returning to Gaza thanks to Israel's victory over Hamas.
This being said, regional intelligence officials assess that his meeting with Shin Bet Director Zini proves that, despite public statements, Dahlan remains a key player in the US-Emirati-Israeli axis.