Hours after the Israeli Air Force strike on the Gaza Strip Three Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) commanders killed As of early Tuesday, tensions were at a peak in the country as citizens were bracing themselves for retaliation. The Israeli Home Front Command ordered the closure of schools, beaches and several highways in cities and towns in southern Israel on Wednesday, as well as limiting public gatherings.
Israeli attack on Gaza comes a week later PIJ operatives fire over 100 rockets towards Israel in a single day. The barrage came after a senior PIJ member from the West Bank died in an Israeli prison on the 86th day of his hunger strike. Israel’s immediate response was seen by many as weak, drawing criticism from members of the governing coalition, who had expected a strong show of strength from the right-wing government.
At the height of rising tensions, a summit organized by the Israel Defense and Security Forum (IDSF) in Jerusalem, attended by former senior defense officials, also hosted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu through video conference.
Several speakers at the conference, along with Netanyahu, pointed to Iran as Israel’s biggest and most imminent threat.
“Seventy-five percent of our problems stem from the fanatical regime in Iran – their nuclear plan, their precision missiles, and their aggressive terror ring.”
benjamin netanyahu
“Seventy-five percent of our problems stem from the fundamentalist regime in Iran—their nuclear plan, their precision missiles and their aggressive terror ring,” Netanyahu said briefly from the stage amid security consultations.
Israel is surrounded by Iranian proxies on its borders. Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah in Lebanon and militias in Syria are all funded by Iran and focused on threatening Israel.
“My policy is to contain Iran’s nuclear capabilities as much as possible; So far I have stopped them but have not stopped,” Netanyahu continued. “Iran must also be prevented from launching a multi-sectoral campaign against Israel.”
Israel is facing a critical moment
According to Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Amir Avivi, founder of IDSF, Israel is facing a critical moment.
“The threats are not new, but they have evolved dramatically over the past two decades and they are reaching a climax,” Avivi told Media Line. “Israel may have to deal with the Iranian nuclear program. This would mean an Israeli attack on Iran, which would probably result in a regional war.
Israeli officials, with Netanyahu in charge, have repeatedly warned that Israel could act alone against Iran. In recent years, Israel has been looking to the United States for support on the Iranian issue. It would be difficult for the Jewish state to operate against the Islamic Republic without American military and diplomatic support.
Yet, the US is seen as withdrawing from the region.
“America doesn’t seem to be present enough in the Middle East,” said Avivi. “Overall the situation is not very good.”
Or Yissachar is the head of the research department at IDSF.
He told the media line, “Israel would prefer to work in coordination with the United States, but everyone has to understand that we will defend ourselves.”
“Nuclear weapons would be the umbrella for all Iranian malign activities in the region,” Yissachar explained.
Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet (Israel security agency), told Israelis that they “must understand” that Iran is the only supporter of the PIJ previously targeted by the Israeli Air Force. Bar spoke at a news conference after the Israeli security cabinet met in a special session in Tel Aviv on Tuesday night.
Attending the IDSF conference was also controversial. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, A hardliner who has repeatedly called for a tough handshake towards the Palestinians, he was satisfied with Israel’s surprise assault on Gaza.
“I expect this trend to continue,” he told attendees. “We need to be aggressive, take the initiative, seek engagement, and not get involved and be restrained. Restraint is not strength.”
Such targeted killings, such as Israel’s overnight airstrikes, have become increasingly rare in recent years. Thirteen civilians were also killed in the attack, Palestinian health officials said. Palestinian organizations vowed revenge.
“Initiative, crime and targeted killings – that’s the name of the game in the Middle East,” Ben-Gvir said.
The overnight Israeli offensive in Gaza comes after months of rising tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. Escalating violence in the West Bank has resulted in the killing of more than 100 Palestinians by Israeli forces since the beginning of the year, many of whom are killed in daily raids by Israeli forces in an attempt to stop a series of attacks on Israelis. They went. Members of the PIJ have been some of the main targets of these raids.
Israelis are now bracing themselves for a new round of violence in the coming days. With Iran in the background, the current cycle may be spiraling out of control.