After the Assassination of Sinwar: Washington’s Plan to Hand Palestine to Saudi Arabia

The American news website The Intercept has reported that the United States is seeking to hand over Palestine to Saudi Arabia as part of its efforts to secure a “massive security deal” with the Kingdom, in exchange for formal normalization with Israel.

The report follows the assassination of Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, who was killed in an armed clash between the Israeli army and Palestinian resistance fighters in the Gaza Strip last Wednesday.

Sinwar, known as the mastermind behind the attacks of October 7th, was a prime target for Israel. After months of Israeli claims that he was hiding in tunnels behind “human shields,” Sinwar was critically injured by tank fire while he was above ground, sitting alone on a dust-covered chair in a destroyed apartment, according to drone footage released by the Israeli military.

U.S. officials and bipartisan members of Congress quickly capitalized on Sinwar’s death to push a broader agenda.

Before his death, Sinwar was described as a significant obstacle to a ceasefire in Gaza. However, instead of focusing solely on that goal, senior U.S. officials and members of Congress from both parties used Sinwar’s death to advance a much wider agenda — one that opens the door to the next phase of America’s geopolitical ambitions.

Following the news of Sinwar’s death, Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, posted on X (formerly Twitter): “After recent talks with leaders from Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, I have genuine hope that Sinwar’s death creates real historical opportunities for Israel’s security, the end of fighting, and regional peace and stability through normalization of relations. We must seize this moment.”

However, beneath Blumenthal’s statements lies a massive deal that has been widely discussed — a plan that would effectively establish a new colony for the American-Gulf alliance in Gaza, bind the United States to going to war for Saudi Arabia, and draw us deeper into a new Cold War with China.

Lawmakers are attempting to tie these far-reaching policies to the reconstruction of Gaza, making it more difficult for opponents to reject the agreement. The deal is expected to be imposed on the Palestinian people.

Members of Congress have been clear about their vision for the future of Palestine and the region.

“A sovereign independent state called Palestine with security guarantees for Israel to ensure no future like October 7th,” said Senator Lindsey Graham in a recent interview. “It will be more of an emirate than a democracy. Mohammed bin Salman and Mohammed bin Zayed from the UAE will come to rebuild Gaza… and establish an enclave in Palestine.”

Graham, one of the most hawkish figures in Congress, also praised Blumenthal, calling him a “Democrat who is working to secure the votes” for a deal that would require the U.S. to “go to war for Saudi Arabia.”

Despite U.S. officials’ claims of wanting justice for Palestinians or supporting a two-state solution, they rarely mention the Palestinians’ right to self-determination.

None of the plans proposed after the war included elections or any process that would allow Palestinians to express their opinions on their future, especially after enduring the humanitarian crisis imposed by Israel’s war against them.

While some members, such as Representative Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, have focused their responses to Sinwar’s killing on the narrower goal of ending the war in Gaza, many influential figures in Congress have tied this issue to a broader regional vision.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin issued a statement calling on the United States to “chart a course that refuses to accept a region in perpetual conflict” and instead adopt “a future that realizes the aspirations of peace, security, prosperity, dignity, and mutual recognition for both Israelis and Palestinians, and for all the peoples of the region.”

President Joe Biden’s team has been pushing for an agreement with Saudi Arabia throughout his term, seeing it as critical to his legacy.

U.S. officials were close to finalizing the deal before it was derailed by the Hamas attacks. Just a month after October 7th, former senior advisor to President Biden on Middle East affairs, Brett McGurk, outlined the strategy in an Atlantic Council blog.

According to Bob Woodward’s new book, War, Graham told Biden during a meeting that took place some time before the October 7th attacks that only a Democratic president could secure a defense treaty between the United States and Saudi Arabia.

“It will take a Democratic president to convince Democrats to vote for going to war for Saudi Arabia,” Graham was quoted as saying in local media. Biden replied, “Let’s do it.”