For the past two years, Arab leaders have publicly denounced Israel's war in Gaza, but six of their countries — Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates — have quietly deepened military cooperation with the Israeli army to counter Iran and its allied militias.
The cooperation, detailed in leaked U.S. documents reviewed by The Washington Post and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, took place through an effort called the "Regional Security Construct," facilitated by Centcom, or U.S. Central Command, The Post reported Saturday.
The revelations emerged after Israel and Hamas on Wednesday agreed to the first phase of a peace framework that includes the release of hostages and a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
On Thursday, U.S. officials said 200 American troops would be sent to Israel to support the ceasefire, joined by soldiers from several of the Arab countries involved in the regional security project.
The leaked documents, created between 2022 and 2025, revealed that Israel and Arab militaries held planning meetings in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar, usually under tight secrecy. One meeting in May 2024 took place at al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, a major U.S. facility, where Israeli delegates reportedly arrived directly to avoid public exposure.
The partnership was strained after Israel's Sept. 9 airstrike in Doha, which targeted Hamas leaders but hit civilian areas. After pressure from the Trump administration, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Qatar and pledged not to conduct future strikes there.
The documents show that the shared threat from Iran helped sustain cooperation. One classified map displayed missile trajectories over Gaza and Yemen, while another briefing called for countering Iran's narrative as the "protector of Palestinians."
Still, Arab leaders condemned Israel's actions in Gaza, with Qatar's emir calling the campaign a "genocidal war" at the United Nations, while Saudi Arabia accused Israel of "ethnic cleansing."
Analysts said the partnership illustrates Washington's long-term strategy to use military coordination to advance regional normalization.
Emile Hokayem, of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the effort "dodges political sensitivities but hides the real tensions." After the Israeli strike in Qatar, he added, "The resulting distrust will mar American efforts for years to come."
The documents trace the U.S. role in expanding a shared air-defense system linking Israeli and Arab militaries. By 2024, many partners were feeding radar data into U.S. systems, allowing them to view a combined air picture. Still, that network failed to detect Israel's September strike on Qatar, which both U.S. and Qatari radars missed.
Centcom also hosted a 2025 training exercise at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, on countering Hamas' tunnel warfare and plans to establish regional cyber and intelligence "fusion centers" by 2026.
While the ceasefire marks a step toward stability, questions remain over who will govern Gaza. Analysts say Arab states are unlikely to send troops but could provide diplomatic and financial support.
"There's a lot of concern in Gulf states about what an unshackled Israel is going to do," said Thomas Juneau, a professor at the University of Ottawa. “But they still depend on the U.S. for security and remain deeply wary of Iran.”
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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