Israel and Bahrain sign security agreement as Gantz meets King Hamad

Defence minister also discusses intelligence and industrial ties in Manama during his two-day visit

Benny Gantz and Lt Gen Abdullah bin Hassan Al Nuaimi, defence ministers of Israel and Bahrain, respectively, sign a bilateral agreement in the capital, Manama. AFP

Israel and Bahrain signed a security co-operation agreement on Thursday during a visit by the Israeli defence minister to the kingdom amid heightened tensions in the region.

The pact "will support any future co-operation in the areas of intelligence, mil-to-mil (military to military), industrial collaboration and more", the Israeli Defence Ministry said.

Mr Gantz later met Bahrain's King Hamad at the Al Sakhir Palace, and the pair discussed various agreements signed during the visit.

"King Hamad expressed hope that the Israeli minister’s visit to Bahrain would contribute to broadening the scope of fruitful co-operation and joint action between the two countries to serve their common interests," the Bahrain News Agency reported.

He also "affirmed that Bahrain’s approach is based on consolidating the values of understanding, dialogue, tolerance and peaceful co-existence, being the best means to meet the aspirations of peoples for peace, development and prosperity".

Bahrain and the UAE established ties with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords.

"Only one year following the signing of the (Abraham) Accords, we have achieved an important defence agreement, which will contribute to the security of both countries and the stability of the region," the Israeli Defence Ministry said, quoting Mr Gantz.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli defence minister visited the US Navy Fifth Fleet's headquarters in Bahrain.

Bahrain hosts the Fifth Fleet's headquarters as well as some operations for Centcom, a US military co-ordination umbrella organisation for the Middle East that Israel joined last year.

"Against a backdrop of increasing maritime and aerial threats, our ironclad co-operation is more important than ever," Mr Gantz said on Twitter after visiting the naval base.

The UAE on Wednesday said it intercepted three drones that entered its airspace over unpopulated areas in the fourth such attack in the past few weeks.

The first three assaults were launched by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis in an escalation with a Saudi Arabia-led military coalition, which includes the UAE.

Israel this week is joining a 60-nation US-led Middle East naval exercise alongside the UAE and Bahrain. For the first time, it participates in a drill alongside Saudi Arabia and Oman, two countries it has no diplomatic relations with.