The Middle East, a "cauldron" of unpredictable events.

Iran is preparing a scenario for a fight with Israel.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on November 4th that Israel's agreement to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon could help limit the intensity and scale of Iran's response to Tel Aviv's attack on October 26th. IRNA quoted President Pezeshkian as saying that Israel is well aware that any miscalculation against Iran will be met with a strong reaction, and asserted that Tel Aviv is responsible for escalating tensions in the region. Earlier, Israel attacked Iran on October 26th in retaliation for Tehran's large-scale missile launch targeting Tel Aviv on October 1st.

Is Iran preparing for a more powerful attack on Israel?

President Pezeshkian's statement came after The Wall Street Journal reported on November 3rd that Iran was preparing a "powerful and complex response" scenario, including the use of missiles with more powerful warheads and other advanced weapons to retaliate against the Israeli airstrike on October 26th. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, an Iranian official revealed that the country might utilize Iraqi territory as part of the operation and target Israeli military facilities on a larger scale and with greater intensity than before, emphasizing that Tehran would deploy regular troops, rather than just the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as in previous operations.

Palestinians live amidst the ruins in northern Gaza on November 3, 2024.

In addition, Iranian officials have also outlined a general response, both overt and covert, to a potential Tehran attack on Tel Aviv. Regarding timing, the Iranian official said the attack could occur after the US presidential election on November 5th and before the new US president takes office in January 2025.

Israel tightens its siege on Gaza.

On November 4, the Israeli Foreign Ministry officially informed the UN that it would withdraw from the 1967 agreement allowing the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to provide services to Palestinian refugees.

"Although we have submitted clear evidence to the UN proving that Hamas has infiltrated UNRWA, the agency has done nothing to remedy the situation," The Times of Israel quoted Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon as saying. Danon said Israel will continue to cooperate with other humanitarian organizations to replace UNRWA. According to Reuters, Israel's move could exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

If elected, Trump wants the Gaza conflict to end before he takes office.

In another development, Palestinian medical personnel said Israeli forces carried out several airstrikes on November 3rd, killing at least 31 people in the Gaza Strip. According to Reuters, the Palestinians accused the recent air and ground operations, as well as mandatory evacuation orders, of being an act of "ethnic cleansing" aimed at eliminating the population in two towns and a refugee camp in northern Gaza to create a buffer zone. Israel denied these accusations, asserting that it is fighting Hamas, which launches attacks on Tel Aviv from this area.

Israel investigates leak of classified documents.

An Israeli court announced on November 3rd that authorities had arrested four suspects, including Eliezer Feldstein, former spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on charges of leaking classified documents. Details of the case have not yet been released, but Reuters reported that the suspects are believed to have leaked strategic Hamas documents related to ceasefire and hostage rescue negotiations in Gaza. The Rishon Le-Zion District Court stated that the incident caused serious damage to national security and affected the hostage rescue process. Prime Minister Netanyahu denied any involvement of himself or his subordinates in the leak, claiming he only learned about it through the media.

The incident is currently shaking Israeli politics and enraging the families of the hostages held by Hamas, and could further increase mistrust between Prime Minister Netanyahu and the military and intelligence agencies, a rift already strained since security failures during the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chao-lua-trung-dong-kho-doan-dinh-185241104221102467.htm