Leaks from the Pentagon reveal secret Arab alliances and coordination with Israel in the shadows, despite the uproar over Gaza.
Despite the scenes of destruction reported daily from Gaza and the furious Arab speeches at international forums, leaked documents from the U.S. Department of Defense reveal a different reality unfolding behind the scenes: advanced security and military cooperation between Israel and six Arab countries, happening quietly under the supervision of the U.S. Central Command, as part of what is described as a “new regional security framework.”
This stark political paradox exposes the fragility of public rhetoric and demonstrates the depth of transformation in regional alliances, where Israel, despite its controversial war in Gaza, has become an unacknowledged partner for countries that have long adopted staunch positions against its policies.
The leaked documents, obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and detailed by The Washington Post, not only revealed the cooperation but also identified the parties involved: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain. All of these countries publicly condemned Israel’s war on Gaza, with some describing it as “genocide,” while they held military meetings in Doha, Cairo, Amman, and Manama, involving Israeli officers, and under the direct oversight of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
It appears that the Iranian threat was the common denominator that united these parties, as the documents show that the coordination revolved around information exchange, training on tunnel detection, and operations in “information warfare” to counter “Iranian propaganda.” Additionally, there were meetings described as “high-level” at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, where the Israeli delegation entered unannounced to avoid leaking the news.
The paradox lies not only in the timing of these meetings but also in their content. While Arab capitals witnessed protests against Israeli aggression and their leaders took the podium at the United Nations to attack the “apartheid regime,” military corridors were experiencing advanced levels of coordination with that very state.
The documents indicate that Kuwait and Oman were not direct participants but were “informed” of the meeting contents, reflecting the extension of this new security framework, even amidst the official caution of some capitals.
In this context, the documents revealed U.S.-Arab military exercises at Fort Campbell in January, dedicated to combating tunnels, in a clear indication of preparations that include scenarios similar to Hamas tactics.
The alliance, sponsored by Washington, is not new but appears more developed and secretive amidst the ongoing conflict. The leaks reflect a relentless American effort to redraw the regional security map away from traditional alignments, based on the concept of “collective security against the Iranian threat,” which serves as a cover for this rapid rapprochement between Israel and Arab states.
However, the novelty today is the coincidence of this collaboration with a bloody war that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinians, pushing Arab public opinion to the highest levels of anger, raising genuine questions about the ability of these regimes to maneuver between security requirements and the imperatives of popular legitimacy.
The leaked documents suggest that this cooperation will not cease but will form part of “arrangements post-ceasefire in Gaza,” indicating that the war has not ended these relationships; rather, it may have silently deepened them. In other words, while military equations on the ground are changing, new political equations are being built atop them that are revealed only when documents are leaked.
What the documents present is not just a political breach or a duality of positions, but rather a disclosure of a strategic transformation occurring in silence, paving the way for alliances that transcend the Palestinian issue and reshape the security landscape in the region based on the principle of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” even if temporarily.
In this context, Gaza once again appears as a battleground that does not only concern its residents but is also being used as a platform for redistributing regional power, where partnerships are formed in closed rooms while public anger remains on the streets, awaiting a new speech… or a new disappointment.
