Arab States' Secret Military Cooperation with Israel Amid Public Gaza War Condemnation Revealed in Leaked Documents

The Arab states have expressed support for Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan for Gaza.

According to leaked US files, while Israel faced global condemnation for its actions in Gaza, several key Arab nations were secretly enhancing military cooperation with Israeli armed forces. These confidential arrangements, which were disrupted following Israel's strike on Qatar, may now be essential to implementing the fragile Gaza ceasefire, as reported by The Washington Post.

The leaked presentations detail what US military officials term the "Regional Security Construct," encompassing Israel, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Kuwait and Oman were identified as "potential partners." These unclassified documents were distributed to partner nations and sometimes shared with the "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance consisting of the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and The Washington Post confirmed the documents' authenticity by cross-checking Defence Department records, official military releases, and public information about meetings, exercises, and personnel.

Despite expanding security collaboration behind closed doors, Arab nations continued their public condemnation of Israel. Leaders in Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia characterized the Gaza campaign as genocidal. Qatar's emir told the UN General Assembly about "a genocidal war waged against the Palestinian people," and accused Israel of creating "an apartheid system." In August, Saudi Arabia criticized Israel for "starvation" and "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians.

The documents emphasize that this initiative "does not form a new alliance" and that meetings would be "held in confidence" to avoid political complications.

Over the past three years, the United States has facilitated meetings between high-ranking Israeli and Arab military officials from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, focusing on regional security concerns and countering Iran.

On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a peace framework, which includes hostage releases and a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The US announced the deployment of 200 troops to support the ceasefire, with forces from several Arab partners also expected to participate.

The Arab states have expressed support for US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan, which proposes an international force to train a new Palestinian police.

In a joint statement, five of the six nations backed a mechanism that "guarantees the security of all sides," though none have publicly committed to providing forces.

Qatar, whose capital was targeted by an Israeli airstrike on September 9 aimed at Hamas leaders, was among the states that quietly strengthened ties with Israel. In May 2024, Israeli and Arab officials met at al-Udeid Air Base, a US facility in Qatar, with Israeli delegates flying directly to the base to avoid public attention.

Following the strike, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Qatar on September 29, after US intervention, and promised such attacks would not recur.

The documents also reveal efforts to establish a regional air-defence system. By 2024, six of seven partner nations were integrated into US radar and sensor networks, sharing data and participating in secure communications with Israel and US forces.

Nevertheless, the network failed to warn Qatar about the September missile strike.