Regional Peace, Shared Prosperity, and Environmental Resilience
In the aftermath of October 7, the ensuing war in Gaza, and developments in the political realities of Lebanon, Syria and the broader region, EcoPeace Middle East developed a strategy for a prosperous and resilient Middle East. This strategy aims to utilize the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) as a means to promote regional stability and cooperation. By adding to IMEC the concept of a “Peace Triangle,” focused on Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, EcoPeace envisions fostering economic interdependencies at several levels, across sectors, and across regions. The success of IMEC is much dependent on unimpeded trade and connectivity between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe and the Peace Triangle concepts helps create the political and security arrangements needed.
The IMEC Peace Triangle Rationale
IMEC, signed at the sidelines of the G20 in 2023, created a unique political-economic coalition to stimulate economic development through enhanced connectivity and economic integration between South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Though implementation has been delayed, since February 2025, many important meetings initiated by US President Trump, Indian Prime Minister Modi, EU President von der Leyen, and Italian Prime Minister Meloni, have created renewed momentum.
The work of French President Macron’s IMEC Envoy Gérard Mestrallet resulted in the first collective IMEC sherpas meeting in May 2025. The European Commission committed to include IMEC in the framework of the new MENA strategy and the Pact for the Mediterranean. Private sector mobilization, initiated by the Saudi company ACWA Power, is exploring joint projects in green hydrogen, renewable energy exports, and related infrastructures.
With such powerful actors involved, IMEC could play a critical role in advancing Middle East peace by incorporating a “Peace Triangle” – with regional integration between Israel, the future State of Palestine, and Jordan at its core. In the opinion of EcoPeace and several thought leaders (CEPS, ECCO, Carnegie, and more) without resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and broader Israeli Arab conflict, investors will be reluctant to invest and move IMEC forward. IMEC therefore needs to incorporate the Peace Triangle to the same extent that regional peace requires IMEC.
Strategic Framework: Four Mutually Reinforcing Pillars
1. Geopolitical – Use IMEC-connected projects as part of a pathway to a Palestinian state and as a platform for expanding regional normalization and cooperation.
2. Economic – Connect European, Israeli, and Gulf capital and markets with economies of the East Mediterranean. Prioritize commercially viable, private-sector-led investments that support reconstruction, employment, trade, and shared prosperity.
3. Environmental – Make environmental sustainability and climate resilience a design requirement of IMEC. Advance a Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) approach, renewable energy, clean transport, and climate-resilient water systems, while preventing infrastructure from shifting environmental costs onto vulnerable communities or ecosystems.
4. Security – Build interdependence that creates shared incentives to protect infrastructure, maintain cross-border cooperation, and coordinate security. Projects should be designed so that economic and environmental benefits reinforce regional stability.
The Peace Triangle as a Green Corridor
Environmental considerations should shape project selection, design, financing, and implementation from the outset. The three catalytic projects can support the regional energy transition and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, but large-scale infrastructure also creates risks to biodiversity, marine and coastal ecosystems, water resources, and landscapes. EcoPeace therefore supports a ‘green corridor’ approach: every IMEC Peace Triangle project should undergo environmental assessment, identify cumulative and cross-border impacts, apply avoidance and mitigation measures, and include monitoring and adaptive management.
Three Catalytic Projects of the Peace Triangle
1. Middle East Renewable Energy Export to Europe
Neom in Saudi Arabia, southern Jordan, and Sinai in Egypt – coined the “Sunrise Region” – has the best combination of solar and wind anywhere in the Mediterranean basin. The Emirati consultancy Qamar Energy concluded that the Sunrise Region can supply the energy needs of Jordan, Palestine, and Israel plus 30% of the energy needs of southern and central Europe from Greece to Germany. The study confirmed the economic, technical, environmental, and geopolitical viability of electricity cables and green hydrogen pipelines from the Sunrise Region producing 170 GW of electricity and later green hydrogen, using Egyptian, Israeli, and Palestinian (Gaza) export nodes, connecting energy to Cyprus, Greece, and Italy (Brindisi and Trieste) on to Austria (Graz) and Germany (Munich).
The size of the investment, contribution to climate resilience, economic contribution, and level of connectivity created between the Middle East and Europe all make this project catalytic. The study highlights the endeavour’s bankability through the return on investment. Through a Peace Triangle design adding Gaza as an export node – in addition to Egypt and Israel – this project transforms geo-political and security considerations, contributing to a pathway to a Palestinian State and Israeli-Saudi normalization. As a priority investment, advancing the Crete-Cyprus-Israel electricity interconnector would set a precedent that gives confidence needed for the private sector to move forward on larger interconnectors from the Sunrise Region to Europe.
Environmental design priorities: minimize habitat fragmentation through careful site selection; protect migratory birds; plan for end-of-life recycling of solar panels and turbine components; and assess environmental implications of power lines and submarine cables, using underground routing. Green hydrogen should be developed where water availability and environmental impacts are sustainable. Because water is scarce in the region, projects should prioritize low-water production pathways, including seawater-based electrolysis, alongside leak detection, and safety standards.
2. Electrified IMEC Rail and Logistics Network
The IMEC MoU proposes that the ports of India move container traffic to the Gulf, where 20 foot containers would be loaded on rail to Haifa port and then back on ships to European ports of Greece, Italy, and France. Studies estimate a 40% saving in time, compared to traffic moving via the Suez Canal, if the rail route is seamless with coordinated security between participating countries. Yet, the railway will be a complementary route for faster delivery in addition to the need for the main large-scale route of the Canal. The study estimates a level of container traffic, initially 10 million TEU, that requires several East Mediterranean ports to handle the scale of traffic that in a later stage is estimated to increase to 25 million TEU.
The adoption of the Peace Triangle concept of inclusion as a means to build shared prosperity and mutual security interests is found by the study to be economically justified, potentially linking the IMEC proposed electrified rail network to the ports of Egypt, (Alexandria), Palestine (Gaza), Israel (Haifa), Lebanon (Beirut) and Syria (Tartus). The IMEC railway to Gaza, Beirut, and Tartus can be the economic engines for the rebuilding of these economies, emphasizing the catalytic nature of the investments. A priority investment here would be expanding the existing land crossings between Israel and Jordan, and Jordan and the West Bank to accommodate the humanitarian and rebuilding needs for Gaza. This will act as a precedent and show the political will needed for investors to build the new rail, logistical, and port infrastructure required in Jordan, Israel, and Palestine.
Environmental design priorities: electrify rail powered by renewables; minimize habitat fragmentation through route planning; and integrate environmental criteria into logistics and infrastructure procurement. Ports should be developed as a distributed regional network to distribute impact. Expansion should account for sea-level rise, coastal erosion, marine ecosystems, and local air quality. Ports should prioritize shore-side electrification, efficient vessel scheduling, waste and wastewater management, and monitoring of construction impacts such as turbidity.
3. Water-Energy Exchange
A third study commissioned by EcoPeace proposes to expand Project Prosperity (a joint Israeli-Jordanian-Emirati MoU, authored and facilitated by EcoPeace) to fully include Palestine by constructing a large 200 mcm/annual desalination plant in Gaza, to meet not only Palestinian but regional water needs, including Jordan. The investment here is catalytic as it creates a set of healthy interdependencies, where Israel and Palestine produce desalinated water for their own needs and that of Jordan, and Jordan sells large scale renewable energy to both Israel and Palestine to power the desalination and in general. EcoPeace’s 2017 water-energy study and most recent study focusing on the economic and technical viability of building a 200 mcm desalination plant in Gaza both conclude that creating this level of interdependence between the core Peace Triangle countries is transformative in economic, geo-political, mutual security, and climatic benefits. Once agreed upon Palestinian governance and security arrangements take hold in Gaza, building the large desalination plant should be a priority investment project.
Environmental design priorities: power desalination with renewable energy; minimize brine impacts; protect the Mediterranean’s marine ecosystems; and integrate water efficiency, reuse, and climate resilience into system planning.
An Opportunity for Advancement
There is an opportunity to advance this strategy now as it aligns with the interests of IMEC signatories. EcoPeace’s underlying assumption is that IMEC serves national security interests. We are not alone in this; the eight IMEC coalition countries have identified IMEC as a national security issue. Though the interests of each signatory vary, there is a strong common basis, as evidenced here:
The European Union – IMEC offers trade and energy diversification for the EU, which it is seeking following the Russia-Ukraine war, Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, and the closing of the Strait of Hormuz. The Peace Triangle addition to IMEC is being adopted by the European Commission in the new Pact for the Mediterranean and the EU MENA strategy, with a strong focus on connecting IMEC to peacebuilding. The Peace Triangle should now be integrated into that thinking: Global Gateway and Trans-Mediterranean Energy and Clean Tech Cooperation (TMED) are funding opportunities that should be utilized to advance the catalytic projects.
The United States – The Peace Triangle strategy aligns with key strategies of the US. The I2U2 is a partnership between India, Israel, the UAE, and the US focusing on joint investments in areas like water, energy, transportation, and technology. Coordinated governance between I2U2 and IMEC stakeholders would link climate policy, trade flows, and connectivity into a coordinated strategic architecture, resulting in business opportunities for American companies. The Peace Triangle also fits into the expansion of the Abraham Accords, which aim to foster regional cooperation and economic integration through the normalization of relations between Israel and Arab nations. The Abraham Accords, therefore, have the potential to facilitate the implementation of IMEC.
Italy – The Peace Triangle aligns with Italy’s economic ambitions in making Trieste a key IMEC port for goods, renewable energy, and green hydrogen. Trieste offers direct integration into the Central European supply chain. The dual connectivity strengthens Italy’s positioning within regional and global trade networks. To this end, PM Meloni has appointed an IMEC Envoy in April 2025.
France – In February 2024, President Macron appointed a Special IMEC Envoy to shape IMEC and France’s involvement in it, in order to benefit from the catalyst it is for concrete projects and investments for French businesses. France views Marseille as a key IMEC port for trade, which does not have to be in competition with Trieste but in addition to Italy. The French Special IMEC Envoy is adopting the Peace Triangle strategy into IMEC’s implementation plan.
Germany – For Germany, the Peace Triangle aligns with its goals of identifying economic opportunities, supply chain diversification, and energy security. IMEC will provide Germany with access to a wider range of green energy suppliers, including those in the Middle East, supplementing its imports of low-carbon hydrogen. In July 2025, the German Ambassador to Israel publicly announced at a conference that Germany supports the Peace Triangle addition to IMEC. The German Envoy for IMEC appointed in 2026 sits in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
Saudi Arabia – MBS’ Saudi Vision 2030 is a blueprint for diversifying the economy, creating a vibrant environment for local and international investors, and establishing Saudi Arabia as a global leader. The Peace Triangle strategy will advance these goals, and through normalization with Israel on the condition of a viable pathway for a Palestinian State, create healthy interdependencies and address security needs in the Middle East.
The United Arab Emirates – The UAE’s Future Roadmap centers on doubling GDP, increasing non-oil exports, and expanding foreign trade. The vision also emphasizes sustainability and strengthening the UAE’s global position as a key economic and investment hub. Here too, the Peace Triangle addition to IMEC strategy will promote the Gulf state’s aims through interconnectivity and increased climate resilience.
India – India seeks to become a leader among developing countries and views IMEC as an opportunity to compete with China’s Belt and Road Initiative. IMEC will enhance economic cooperation between India and G7, extend its trade with the EU and Gulf, and so support its industrial development. India and the UAE already moved forward the Eastern leg of IMEC by signing bilateral trade agreements. The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the EU in February 2026 is a game changer for IMEC implementation.
Proven Effectiveness
The Peace Triangle strategy is built on a model of connectivity creating healthy inter-dependencies, such as the Coal & Steel Agreement that formed the foundation of today’s European Union, and the North West Greenway Network connecting Ireland and Northern Ireland. Today we see the EU advancing a similar strategy in the Black Sea region – EU Strategy for the Black Sea Region.
EcoPeace’s strategy is grounded in the idea that economic and environmental cooperation opens political pathways otherwise blocked by mistrust or stagnation. The Peace Triangle strategy offers win-win solutions for all parties involved and a foundation for stability in the Middle East.
Next steps
High-level efforts are needed to champion the Peace Triangle strategy. To help create the necessary political will inside and outside of the region priority next steps are:
- Commission detailed economic, technical, geopolitical, and environmental feasibility studies for the three catalytic projects with leading financial institutions and relevant governments – including the World Bank and Development Finance Corporation;
- Identify early investments that demonstrate the model while building the political and financial confidence required for larger-scale connectivity;
- Mobilize the private sector in Europe, the US, and Gulf to implement large infrastructure projects in the Middle East and have governments derisk investments;
- Gulf governments must be convinced by research that a Gulf Marshall Plan for the region will boost their economies as the Marshall Plan did for the US;
- Require project-level environmental and social assessments, including cumulative and transboundary impacts;
Now is the best time to pursue this paradigm-shifting approach precisely because of the renewed international political will for the Two-State Solution, the rejection of the “conflict management” status quo, the opportunity to expand the Abraham Accords, including Saudi Arabia, and the proven need for trade and energy diversification by the closing of the Strait of Hormuz.