US convenes meeting of Israeli, Arab military leaders amid Gaza conflict: Report

By Zehra Nur Duz

Israel’s top general and his counterparts from several Arab militaries had a meeting in Bahrain under the auspices of the US Central Command, US media reported.

The meeting, which was earlier this week, was kept low-profile due to the regional political sensitivities surrounding the war in Gaza, two unnamed sources familiar with the meeting told Axios news website.

The meeting was attended by Gen. Herzi Halevi, the chief of the Israeli military's general staff, alongside US Gen. Michel "Erik" Kurilla, the sources said.

According to the website, the reported meeting indicated that military dialogue and cooperation between Israel and Arab nations continue under CENTCOM despite significant public criticism and condemnation of Israeli military actions in war-torn Gaza.

Along with Kurilla and Halevi, senior generals from Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt were present at the meeting held in Manama on Monday, according to Axios.

The Israel military declined to comment, while CENTCOM did not immediately respond to inquiries about the meeting, the website said.

No reactions were available from the concerned Arab countries so far.

Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023 despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 37,200 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, and more than 84,900 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.