'Peace first, war later': Arab state urged potential Israel partner to sign deal before launching war

Information cleared for publication by the Israeli military has revealed a reported exchange between several countries in the region over a possible agreement with Israel, according to reports by Israeli media Kan 11 and Channel 12.

According to the reports, one Arab state allegedly advised another country to first sign an agreement with Israel and then, if circumstances became more favorable, launch a war against the Jewish state.

The identity of the country that received the advice remains classified.

The revelations come as the Middle East undergoes major strategic shifts. The Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States in 2020, established diplomatic relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, with Morocco and Sudan later joining the normalization process, although Sudan’s agreement was never fully implemented.

The latest developments also come after Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the “Mecca Pact,” a defense agreement under which an attack against one member would be considered an attack against all three.

Iran subsequently warned that the agreement would not guarantee Saudi Arabia’s security. Turkey’s foreign minister responded that the alliance was not directed against Tehran and said Egypt was considering joining the pact, potentially expanding the arrangement into a four-country defense alliance.