Netanyahu eyes expanded peace accords with Arab nations

At the opening of the winter session of the Knesset, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to secure peace agreements with several more Arab nations after military operations against the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza and the Shiite group Hezbollah in Lebanon have concluded.

“I intend to continue the process I initiated several years ago with the signing of the historic 'Abraham Accords' and to achieve peace with other Arab countries,” Netanyahu said in his address, which was broadcast on the Knesset website, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

“These nations observe the blows we deliver to those who attack us, namely the Iranian axis of evil, and share our aspiration for a stable, secure, and prosperous Middle East,” he added.

The "Abraham Accords," which normalized Israel’s relations with Bahrain and the UAE, were signed in Washington in September 2020 with U.S. mediation. Morocco and Sudan later joined in establishing diplomatic ties with Israel. Before the Abraham Accords, only Egypt and Jordan had formal diplomatic relations with Israel among Arab countries.

Meanwhile, a new proposal known as the "New Unified Deal Plan" was recently discussed in Doha, aimed at facilitating the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza. This plan builds on previous proposals and integrates recent developments in the region. The Israeli Prime Minister's office confirmed that Mossad Chief David Barnea returned on October 28 from Doha, where he held talks with CIA Director William Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdel Rahman Al-Thani. According to the statement, the two sides discussed the unified plan and “talks will continue in the coming days with mediators and [Hamas] representatives to evaluate readiness for negotiations and further steps to advance the deal.”

In late November 2023, a humanitarian truce mediated by Egypt and Qatar was established for a week in Gaza, during which Israel reported that 110 hostages were released. However, the ceasefire was broken on December 1, and fighting resumed. The latest data from Israeli sources indicate that 101 hostages remain held by radical groups in Gaza.

Earlier attempts at achieving a lasting ceasefire occurred in Doha on August 15-16, with Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. issuing a joint statement that the consultations were held in a “positive atmosphere.” Despite this, subsequent rounds of talks in Cairo and Doha on August 25 and 28 were unsuccessful in advancing a sustainable resolution.

By Tamilla Hasanova