Egypt revives NATO-style Arab force plan after Israeli strike in Qatar - report - Jerusalem Post Staff, the Media Line Staff

 

by Jerusalem Post Staff, the Media Line Staff

Egypt is pushing to revive a NATO-style Arab military force for rapid defense in case of attacks. The proposal gains traction ahead of an Arab summit, with Cairo seeking regional support.

 

 

Egypt is seeking to revive a joint Arab military force modeled on NATO, according to multiple Arabic-language reports on Saturday that link the move to the Israel-Hamas war and to an Arab-Islamic summit expected in Doha on Monday.

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The sources include Lebanon’s pro-Hezbollah Al-Akhbar newspaper, which cited a government source in Cairo.

London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is working to rebuild Arab backing for a rapid-reaction force that could deploy to protect any Arab state under attack, and said the proposal has been floated in recent diplomatic contacts ahead of the summit. The outlet framed the idea as a defensive umbrella rather than an escalation with Israel.

Palestinian outlet Ma’an carried similar details and said Cairo is discussing contributing around 20,000 Egyptian troops and seeking to place an Egyptian four-star officer in command, with Saudi Arabia as a principal partner if the plan advances. Ma’an characterized the discussions as ongoing.

Discussions are focusing on how such a body would operate, with Cairo stressing that it must be shaped in line with the demographics and military capacities of participating Arab countries.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inspects the Egyptian military units in Suez, as he told the media in his speech that Cairo is playing a very positive role in de-escalating the Gaza crisis, Egypt, October 25, 2023. (credit: THE EGYPTIAN PRESIDENCY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

The idea, first floated nearly a decade ago, failed to advance at the time. But reports suggest that Israel’s recent strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar has brought the proposal back to the fore. Egyptian officials are now seeking backing from other Arab nations to move the initiative forward.

The source cited by Al-Akhbar emphasized that regional and political considerations would also play a role, noting possible involvement of forces from Morocco and Algeria. 

“The mechanism must allow the force to be deployed when needed, and it should be formed in a way that reflects the composition of Arab states and their armies, while balancing regional politics,” the official was quoted as saying.

Cairo intends to play a leading role in the force

Another point of negotiation is how command responsibilities would be shared. The source said Egypt intends to hold the top command position, while the second would go to Saudi Arabia or another Gulf state. This reflects Cairo’s effort to secure a leading role in any collective defense arrangement while giving a place of prominence to the Gulf monarchies. 

Although still in the discussion stage, the initiative signals Egypt’s attempt to position itself at the center of a new security framework for the Arab world. The timing of the revived push, coming days after an Israeli strike in Doha, has added urgency to Cairo’s efforts to rally support among its regional partners. 

There was no immediate official confirmation from Cairo. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid was quoted in Arabic media criticizing the reported proposal as a blow to existing peace frameworks.

"The report about Egypt’s proposal to establish a joint Arab force in response to the Israeli strikes is a severe blow to the peace agreements, Lapid wrote on X/Twitter. "It comes immediately after the severe blow to the Abraham Accords, which itself came right after the overwhelming majority of countries that were once Israel’s allies voted in favor of establishing a Palestinian state," Lapid concluded.

The Jerusalem Post has reported on versions of this concept before. On March 29–30, 2024, then-defense minister Yoav Gallant’s Washington meetings noted Israeli discussions about a multinational force for Gaza that could include troops from three Arab countries, with the US potentially funding a peacekeeping mission.

A March 31, 2024 Post analysis assessed whether an Arab force could help stabilize Gaza and Rafah, outlining hurdles on command, rules of engagement and political buy-in.

Those same unresolved questions echo in today’s Arabic-language reporting. 

Jerusalem Post Staff, the Media Line Staff

Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-867342

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