On September 15, 2020, foreign ministers and leaders from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Israel gathered with US President Donald Trump at the White House to formalize the Abraham Accords — an agreement to normalize relations between the governments. Morocco joined the accords in December 2020, and Sudan signed in January 2021, although ongoing political instability in the country has delayed full implementation. These agreements marked the first normalization efforts between Israel and Arab states since its peace treaties with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. They also broke with the established regional consensus that normalization would require resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and implementing a two-state solution. Emily Tasinato, a researcher and analyst whose work focuses on the Persian Gulf and Arabian Peninsula, told DW that the accords were initially intended not only to strengthen ties with the United States but also to deter efforts by Iran to expand its regional influence. In 2020, Iran's proxy militias in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and Yemen meant that the country was still regarded as the main destabilizing actor in the region. "Five years later, the situation appears to have been reversed," Tasinato said. Israeli soldiers by armored vehicle along the border fence with the Gaza StripIsraeli soldiers by armored vehicle along the border fence with the Gaza Strip Israel's ongoing war in Gaza — and uncertainty about its plans for Palestinians — have discouraged other regional neighbors from normalizing relationsImage: Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images 2023 — and beyond The Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023, left nearly 1,200 people dead. About 250 people were abducted, of whom close to 50 remain in the Gaza Strip, with around 20 of them believed to still be alive. Since the October 7 attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition have intensified their rejection of a two-state-solution while waging a nearly two-year war in the Gaza Strip that has displaced 1.9 million people and led to widespread famine. More than 64,500 people, including an estimated 19,000 children, have been killed, according to thhe Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, though international researchers estimate a much higher death toll. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu on charges of war crimes, alongside his former defense minister and a member of the Hamas leadership who was killed in Gaza. Israel has also opened multiple fronts in its regional war. In 2024, the country responded to cross-border strikes from the Hezbollah group by launching operations in Lebanon with the stated objective of removing the Iran-backed organization, whose military wing is classified as a terror organization by the United States, Germany and several Middle Eastern governments. Israel is also pursuing ongoing military operations in Syria, as well as exchanging fire with the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have targeted international shipping on the Red Sea and facilities within Israeli territory. In June, Israel engaged Iran in a 12-day war. Qatar: Israel acting like a 'rogue state' in the region