TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that Israel is already engaged in a “multi-front war” with Iran and its allies. This statement was made during a Cabinet meeting on Sunday, amidst preparations by the United States and its allies to defend Israel from a potential counterstrike and to prevent a more catastrophic regional conflict.
The situation has escalated following nearly 10 months of conflict in Gaza and the recent assassinations of a high-ranking Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas’ top political leader in Iran. Iran and its allies have pointed fingers at Israel and threatened retaliation. Meanwhile, Hamas has announced that it has initiated discussions to select a new leader.
Netanyahu reassured that Israel is prepared for any possible scenario. In a rare diplomatic move, Jordan’s foreign minister is visiting Iran, while the Pentagon has relocated significant resources to the region.
“We are doing everything in our power to prevent this situation from escalating,” said Jon Finer, White House deputy national security adviser, in an interview with ABC. In Israel, some citizens have started preparing bomb shelters, recalling Iran’s unprecedented direct military assault in April, which was a response to a suspected Israeli strike that resulted in the death of two Iranian generals. Israel reported that almost all the drones and ballistic and cruise missiles were intercepted.
On Sunday, a stabbing attack near Tel Aviv resulted in the death of a woman in her 70s and an 80-year-old man, as reported by Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service and a nearby hospital. Two other men were injured. The police reported that the attack was executed by a Palestinian militant, who was subsequently “neutralized.”
Within Gaza, Israel’s military reported that it targeted Hamas command centers located at two schools in Gaza City. There has been no immediate report on casualties.
Earlier, Israeli strikes resulted in the death of at least 18 people. One strike hit a tent camp for thousands of displaced Palestinians in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, killing four people, including a woman, and injuring others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. An Associated Press journalist filmed men rushing to the scene to retrieve bodies while attempting to put out the fire.
The Israeli military reported that it targeted a Palestinian militant in the strike, which resulted in secondary explosions, ”indicating the presence of weaponry in the area.”
The hospital in Deir al-Balah is the primary medical facility operating in central Gaza as many others in the territory are no longer functional. A separate strike on a home near Deir al-Balah resulted in the death of a girl and her parents, according to the hospital.
Another strike demolished a house in northern Gaza, killing at least eight people, including three children, their parents, and their grandmother, as reported by the Health Ministry. A further three people were killed in a strike on a vehicle in Gaza City, according to the Civil Defense first responders who operate under the Hamas-run government.
Palestinian militants in Gaza launched at least five projectiles at Israeli communities near the border without causing casualties or damage, the military reported. The military later instructed people in some parts of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis to evacuate.
An Israeli strike on Saturday at a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City resulted in the death of at least 16 people and injured another 21, according to the Health Ministry, which announced the toll on Sunday. Israel’s military, which regularly accuses Palestinian militants of sheltering in civilian areas, reported that it targeted a Hamas command center.
The conflict in Gaza was initiated by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into Israel that resulted in the death of approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took around 250 people hostage.
Israel’s extensive offensive in response has resulted in the death of at least 39,580 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Heavy airstrikes and ground operations have caused widespread destruction and displaced the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million people, often multiple times.
The militant group Hezbollah and Israel have continued to exchange fire along the Lebanon border since the conflict began, with the intensity increasing in recent months. The Lebanese state-run National News Agency reported that an Israeli strike targeted a house in Beit Lef, and the Lebanese Health Ministry reported that two people were critically injured.
Hezbollah claims its actions are aimed at relieving pressure on fellow Iran-backed ally Hamas. A growing number of countries, including the U.S., are advising their citizens to leave Lebanon following last week’s assassination of a senior commander.
Disagree Israel’s actions risk escalating tensions and creating further instability in the region.
Disagree – This will only lead to more violence and destruction.#escalatingtensions
Disagree – This will only lead to more violence and destruction. Stop the cycle of conflict.