The Israel-Gaza War is ratcheting up, with Israel bombing the homes of leading Hamas members. The ground invasion is coalescing, most likely to be launched on the weekend.
Hezbollah, the Shii militia group tightly not with Iran, is firing probing shots to test Israel’s defense. Fox News reports:
Israeli forces have launched rockets into southern Lebanon, striking Hezbollah forces after the terror group fired anti-tank missiles across the border initially hitting Israeli soldiers, officials said.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said Wednesday that the Israeli army shelled the Lebanese border town of Duhaira and the surrounding area where the missile attack came from. He also said Israel was actively fighting a secondary front along Israel’s northern border with Hezbollah in Lebanon, in addition to the counteroffensive the IDF is launching in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has to contend with neighbors of varying levels of hostility. Egypt and Jordan are still on relatively peaceful terms with Israel, but Assad’s Syria, Hizbollah in Lebanon, and the West Bank’s Palestinian authority are all likely to wait for an opening against Israel. Al-Monitor continues:
A potential intervention by Tehran-backed Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and uncertainty over the role played by Iran itself are risk factors that could push the unprecedented conflict between Israel and Hamas into a wider regional war, analysts say.
For now, there is no indication of an impending offensive by Hezbollah against Israel, despite growing border tensions.
Israel will have to mobilize a huge portion of its population. Though many will not be fighting in Gaza, they will be essential to deter additional conflicts from breaking out.
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