The proposed force would integrate land, air, and naval units and be positioned to respond quickly to security threats and acts of sabotage in the region.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Israel, Greece, and Cyprus are planning to establish a joint rapid-response military force of about 2,500 troops to operate across the eastern Mediterranean, according to a report by the Greek daily Ta Nea.
The proposed force would integrate land, air, and naval units and be positioned to respond quickly to security threats and acts of sabotage in the region.
The framework envisions Israel and Greece each contributing roughly 1,000 soldiers, with Cyprus providing 500.
Operations would be conducted from existing military bases and infrastructure in Israel and Cyprus, as well as from the Greek islands of Rhodes and Karpathos, creating a continuous operational arc across key maritime zones.
Officials involved in the planning say the initiative is driven by growing concern over the vulnerability of critical infrastructure, including offshore energy platforms, undersea pipelines, and electricity cables. Recent incidents in the Baltic Sea, where Chinese and Russian vessels damaged subsea cables and pipelines in what appeared to be deliberate actions, have heightened awareness of similar risks in the Mediterranean.
“A Greek-Israeli rapid reaction force is not an alliance against anyone. It fills a strategic void. From Rhodes to Cyprus and Israel, platforms, pipelines, and electricity cables are exposed,” an official told Ta Nea.
Beyond regional defense, proponents say the force would serve wider European interests by helping secure routes for transporting natural gas and oil from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe.
One official said the region must act proactively rather than waiting for a crisis to force coordination, arguing that a standing joint mechanism would improve early warning, deterrence, and rapid response capabilities.
The official added that the future of the region should be guided by cooperation, interoperability, and international law, not competing territorial claims.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of worsening relations between Israel and Turkey since October 7, 2023. Ankara has imposed a full trade embargo on Israel and stepped up political and rhetorical attacks over Israel’s war with Hamas. Israel has also insisted that Turkey be excluded from the International Stabilization Force expected to secure and administer Gaza under President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan.
At the same time, Turkey has significantly expanded its military capacity. According to the The New Arab, by 2025 approximately 80% of the components required by Turkey’s defense industry were produced domestically, reflecting a sharp increase in self-sufficiency.
While the rapid-response force remains at the planning stage, officials say it reflects a broader shift toward structured regional security cooperation, aimed at protecting shared assets and responding swiftly to emerging threats in the eastern Mediterranean.
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