Israel has informed several Arab states that it wants to carve out a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of Gaza’s border to prevent future attacks as part of proposals for the enclave after the fighting ends, Reuters has quoted Egyptian and regional sources as saying.
According to three regional sources, Israel related its plans to its neighbours Egypt and Jordan, along with the United Arab Emirates, which normalised ties with Israel in 2020.
They also said that Saudi Arabia, which does not have ties with Israel and which halted a US-mediated normalisation process after the Gaza conflict flared on Oct 7, had been informed. The sources did not say how the information reached Riyadh, which officially does not have direct communication channels with Israel. Non-Arab Turkiye was also told, the sources said.
The initiative does not indicate an imminent end to Israel’s offensive — which resumed on Friday after a seven-day truce — but it shows Israel is reaching out beyond established Arab mediators, such as Egypt or Qatar, as it seeks to shape a post-crisis Gaza.
The Egyptian, Saudi, Qatari and Turkish governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Jordanian officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
