Officials from one country in the region advised another regional state to pursue an agreement with Israel in order to "lull it to sleep" while preparing for a larger confrontation, Israel's censor confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Monday.
According to a report first shared by Kan News, officials from the first country told their counterparts during talks in recent months that they should demonstrate tactical flexibility toward Israel and work toward reaching an agreement.
The proposal, however, was not intended as a path toward lasting reconciliation. Instead, the officials advised the other country to use the period created by an agreement to prepare for a future war against Israel, according to the sources cited in the report.
The officials reportedly suggested reaching an agreement with Israel with the intention of later violating it, while simultaneously preparing for a larger military confrontation.
The identities of either of the two countries involved have not been identified.
Hamas documents reveal false attempts at seeking stability
Those concerns carry particular weight following the intelligence failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre. Internal Hamas documents published in June detailed a deliberate effort by the terrorist organization to convince Israel that it sought stability while secretly preparing for a surprise attack.
The documents described a multidimensional deception strategy designed to foster Israeli complacency. Hamas sought to project restraint and an interest in economic and diplomatic arrangements, including by remaining on the sidelines during some previous rounds of fighting between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The new report comes as Israel and regional actors continue to weigh diplomatic arrangements and normalization initiatives in a Middle East reshaped by the wars that followed October 7. Efforts toward new agreements have continued in several arenas, including discussions surrounding possible normalization between Israel and Syria.
Additionally, the report did not address whether the country that allegedly received the proposal accepted the advice or acted on it. It also does not establish that any agreement currently under discussion with Israel is part of such a strategy.