class=”sc-29f61514-0 icZBHN”>
This time everything is different. Hamas’s current attack on Israel already surpasses all previous conflicts – both in scale and brutality. The radical Palestinian organization seems to want to put everything on one card.
Rockets are raining down on Israel not only from the Gaza Strip, but also from Lebanon. The Lebanon-based Islamist terror organization Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack early Sunday morning. The group clearly supports Hamas’ plan.
The head of the Hamas Politburo, Ismail Haniyeh, also announced something threatening: “This storm, which started in the Gaza Strip, will spread to the West Bank and all places outside the country where there are members of our people and our nation. ” The first sparks of a great fire have ignited in the Middle East. Is Israel threatened with war on multiple fronts?
Hezbollah uses the element of surprise
Michel Wyss is a military expert at the Military Academy of ETH Zurich. In an interview with Blick, he suspects that the situation is unlikely to spread north. “Israel will focus on the Gaza Strip, especially because of the Israeli civilians and soldiers allegedly kidnapped there. At the same time, Israeli forces have increased their presence in the north to deter Hezbollah. According to Wyss, Hezbollah’s rocket and mortar fire early Sunday morning was mainly symbolic, or, according to their own statements, a “sign of solidarity” with Hamas.
Israeli security circles have been fearing an attack scenario like Saturday’s for some time, albeit by the Lebanese Hezbollah in the north of the country. The self-proclaimed Party of God is considered more powerful than Hamas. “Compared to Hamas, Hezbollah has more combat experience. “It also has a much larger rocket arsenal and is generally better equipped than the groups in the Gaza Strip,” Wyss explains.
Military historian Carlo Masala of the Bundeswehr University in Munich sees the danger of the war increasing. Israel is in a dilemma, Masala told ‘Bild’. “Given the severity of the terrorist attacks, the Israeli response can only be the complete destruction of Hamas. The more successful Israel is, the more it cannot be ruled out that Hezbollah will come to the aid of its terrorist friends.”
It is currently unclear whether Hezbollah will actually risk further attacks on Israel. ETH expert Wyss told Blick: “Hezbollah is probably aware that the element of surprise no longer exists. Israel has also repeatedly warned in recent years that an attack by Hezbollah would have devastating consequences for all of Lebanon.
The Arab world is reacting cautiously positively to Hamas’ attack
The fact is: the surprising attack by the militant Palestinians is well received in the Arab world. Praise for the attacks came first and, as expected, from Iran. An Iranian military adviser called it a “proud effort” by Hamas. The Houthi rebels in the civil war country of Yemen expressed their support for the ‘heroic jihadist operation’.
In the wake of the latest developments, the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry said the kingdom called for an “immediate stop to the escalation between the two sides.” And further: “The Kingdom recalls its repeated warnings about the dangers of an explosive situation as a result of the continued occupation and the deprivation of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.”
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
