US President Donald Trump is attempting to involve Arab states militarily in the Gaza Strip after Israel failed to achieve its objectives in two years of devastating war, which was recognised by the United Nations as a genocide.
On Tuesday evening, Trump held what he described as a “very important” meeting with leaders and officials from several Arab and Islamic countries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The meeting explored potential steps to stop the war in Gaza, even as a growing number of countries continue to recognise an independent State of Palestine—recognitions the United States sees as undermining its stance in the conflict.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—wanted by the International Criminal Court—reaffirmed that Israel will continue its military operations in Gaza until it eliminates the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and secures what he calls “peace in the region.”
A Plan to Involve Arabs in Gaza
Although no detailed outcomes of Trump’s meeting with Arab and Islamic officials—including from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE—have been released, analysts believe he will push for Arab military involvement.
Such involvement, they argue, could mean deploying Arab forces to partially replace Israeli troops, tasked with disarming the resistance before any discussion of ending the war.
Former US State Department official Thomas Warrick suggested Trump may adopt a “harsh tone,” demanding that Arab states send troops, provide funds, and oversee the dismantling of Hamas in Gaza.
Warrick argued that Trump is unlikely to accept any ceasefire initiative unless Arab states agree to deploy forces, pay reconstruction costs, and suppress the resistance—a proposition fraught with uncertainty.
Even if Arab countries consented to deploy troops for “security,” Warrick believes ending the war would remain only a third priority for Trump, after the arrival of foreign forces and partial Israeli withdrawals.
In his UN speech, Trump placed full blame on Hamas for the war’s continuation and negotiation failures—completely ignoring Gaza’s civilian suffering and Israel’s responsibility for the humanitarian catastrophe.
For international affairs analyst Hossam Shaker, Trump’s remarks showed that there is no political process, only options designed to entrench the zero-sum equation Israel seeks.
Islamic Jihad’s deputy leader, Mohammad al-Hindi, confirmed on Monday that Washington is not serious about ending the war, stressing that even US-backed proposals are later abandoned.
Shaker believes Trump’s meeting was meant to implicate Arab and Islamic countries in post-war arrangements, buying Israel more time to destroy Gaza, while presenting the US as if it were searching for solutions.
Netanyahu Will Block Any Proposal
Shaker added that since Israel refuses to accept any Palestinian negotiating partner, the US continues to walk behind Tel Aviv, vetoing international efforts to hold it accountable.
Israeli affairs expert Muhannad Mustafa argued that Netanyahu himself will torpedo such proposals, even if Arab states agree, because ending the war would mark a strategic and political defeat for him and his far-right base, who are intent on occupying and settling Gaza and expelling its people.
Unable to openly reject a direct American demand for a ceasefire, Netanyahu would likely employ a familiar tactic: nominally accepting the proposal while inserting impossible conditions, such as excluding the Palestinian Authority from Gaza, retaining Israeli military presence in “buffer zones,” and maintaining full freedom of action. This would inevitably doom the plan, as has happened with previous initiatives.
For Netanyahu, even an arrangement that removed Hamas from power but imposed an Arab security presence would signify failure to deliver on promises made two years ago. Hence, Mustafa argues, he will work to convince Trump to embrace Israeli military timetables and objectives, ensuring the collapse of any outside plan.
Between US Pressure and Israeli Obstruction
Israel today faces historic international isolation, with its far-right leadership locked into a strategy of expulsion and settlement.
In this context, talk of Arab military intervention may achieve Israel’s immediate war aims—by neutralising the resistance and stabilising occupation—but will not serve Netanyahu’s personal political interests.
It is for this reason, Mustafa concludes, that Netanyahu will sabotage Trump’s plan by all means, even if it results in broader strategic losses for Israel, because his survival depends on prolonging the war and deflecting accountability.
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