Biden Feels India-Middle East-Europe Corridor Announcement Triggered Hamas Attack. Here's Why

US President Joe Biden has once again hinted that the announcement of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor at the G-20 Summit in New Delhi could have been one of the reasons for the Hamas terror attack on Israel.

"I'm convinced one of the reasons Hamas attacked when they did, and I have no proof of this, just my instinct tells me, is because of the progress we were making towards regional integration for Israel, and regional integration overall. We can't leave that work behind," Biden said.

AFP

What Biden said last week

This is the second time in less than a week that Biden has mentioned the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) as a potential reason for the terrorist attack by Hamas.

"One of the reasons ... why Hamas moved on Israel, is because they knew I was about to sit down with the Saudis," Biden had said last week.

AFP

What is India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor?

The corridor would help to boost trade, transport energy resources and improve digital connectivity between India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Israel and the European Union by linking ports and railway facilities across these countries was seen as a counter to China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The corridor comprises an eastern corridor connecting India to the Gulf region and a northern corridor connecting the Gulf region to Europe.

How the corridor could reshape Middle East

The announcement came at a time when several Arab countries were getting close to having normal ties with Israel, which was unimaginable a few years ago.

REUTERS

Many analysts had opinionated that closer ties between Israel and Arab countries, who were the backers of Palestine for decades, could be bad news for the cause.

Why better Israel-Arab relations are not good for Palestine

Palestinians also feel that the economic interests of the Middle Eastern powerhouses and the US influence on them will result in them losing support for free Palestine.

The Saudis had been insisting on protections and expanded rights for Palestinian interests as part of any broader agreement with Israel. An agreement would have been a feat of diplomacy that could have enabled broader recognition of Israel by other Arab and Muslim-majority nations that have primarily opposed Israel since its creation 75 years ago in the territory where Palestinians have long resided.

REUTERS

But talks were interrupted after Hamas militants stormed into nearby Israeli towns from the blockaded Gaza Strip, where Palestinians live.

It should be noted that some of the most prominent voices in the Middle East, including UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, initially had a much muted and calculated response to the Israeli retaliation in the Gaza Strip following the October 7 terror attack.

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