While Israel faced international criticism for its war in Gaza, key Arab nations were secretly strengthening military ties with the Israeli armed forces, according to leaked US files. These covert arrangements, disrupted by Israel's strike on Qatar, may now be central to implementing the fragile Gaza ceasefire, The Washington Post reported.
The leaked presentations outline what the US military calls the "Regional Security Construct," which includes Israel, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Kuwait and Oman were listed as "potential partners." These unclassified documents were shared with the partner nations and, in some cases, with the "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance - the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and The Washington Post verified the documents' authenticity by cross-referencing Defence Department records, official military releases, and publicly available information about meetings, exercises, and personnel.
While Arab nations expanded security collaboration, they continued to condemn Israel publicly. Leaders in Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia described the Gaza campaign as genocidal. Qatar's emir told the UN General Assembly, "a genocidal war waged against the Palestinian people," accusing Israel of building "an apartheid system." In August, Saudi Arabia criticized Israel for "starvation" and "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians.
The documents stress that the 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 US has facilitated meetings between senior Israeli and Arab military officials from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, focusing on regional security and countering Iran.
On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a peace framework, including the release of hostages and a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The US announced the deployment of 200 troops to support the ceasefire, with soldiers from several Arab partners also expected to join.
The Arab states have voiced 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 forces.
Qatar, whose capital was hit by an Israeli airstrike on September 9 targeting 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.
After the strike, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologised to Qatar on September 29, following US intervention, and promised such attacks would not happen again.
The documents also show efforts to build 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.
Yet the network failed to warn Qatar of the September missile strike.
