The Media Line: Egypt Revives NATO-Style Arab Force Plan After Israeli Strike in Qatar 

Audio By Carbonatix

Enlarge

Egypt Revives NATO-Style Arab Force Plan After Israeli Strike in Qatar  

By The Media Line Staff  

Egypt is pushing forward a renewed plan to establish a NATO-style Arab military alliance, according to Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar newspaper, which cited a government source in Cairo.  

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.  

Under the plan, Egypt would contribute roughly 20,000 troops to the joint force. 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. The source 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.  

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.