Concerningly, the violence in Gaza may spread to other regions of the Middle East after a shootout broke out in northern Israel between the Israeli military and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Israeli leaders have threatened to “destroy” Lebanon if the currently engaged in conflict includes Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Analysts are becoming more concerned about the likelihood of an Israeli ground invasion in the northern Gaza Strip, which would attract Hezbollah, Iran, and other regional players. This has added a disturbing level of complexity to the already fragile situation in the area.
More than a million people have evacuated their homes in the Gaza Strip as a preventative precaution because they expected Israel to retaliate for their deadly raid by assassinating the Hamas leadership. Alarm is being raised by humanitarian aid organizations who fear that an Israeli ground offensive could worsen an already severe humanitarian crisis.
With the assistance of American warships, Israeli forces have positioned themselves around Gaza’s border and have begun practicing for what Israel has termed as a massive effort to destroy the militant organization. Militant rocket firing into Israel has persisted despite a week of continuous bombings that have destroyed neighborhoods, prolonging the battle and the suffering of the civilian population.
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