Egypt is pushing to revive a NATO-style Arab military force for rapid defense in case of attacks. The proposal gains traction ahead of an Arab summit, with Cairo seeking regional support. Egypt is seeking to revive a joint Arab military force modeled on NATO, according to multiple Arabic-language reports on Saturday that link the move to the Israel-Hamas war and to an Arab-Islamic summit expected in Doha on Monday.The sources include Lebanon’s pro-Hezbollah Al-Akhbarnewspaper, which cited a government source in Cairo.
London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is working to rebuild Arab backing for a rapid-reaction force that could deploy to protect any Arab state under attack, and said the proposal has been floated in recent diplomatic contacts ahead of the summit. The outlet framed the idea as a defensive umbrella rather than an escalation with Israel.
Palestinian outlet Ma’an carried similar details and said Cairo is discussing contributing around 20,000 Egyptian troops and seeking to place an Egyptian four-star officer in command, with Saudi Arabia as a principal partner if the plan advances. Ma’an characterized the discussions as ongoing. (Read More)
