Middle East 'sitting on fire'

Israel sets new goals

Israel’s latest decisions have led observers to speculate that the country will be more resolute in its confrontation with Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced on September 17 that the security cabinet had officially set a fourth goal in the Gaza conflict, which is to ensure the safe return of northern Israelis. Tens of thousands of northern Israelis have been displaced by the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel.

In a phone call with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin on September 16, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the diplomatic window for the stalemate with Hezbollah was closing. Gallant also told US special envoy Amos Hochstein in Tel Aviv on September 16 that as long as Hezbollah remained tied to Hamas and refused to end the conflict, the only solution for Israelis to safely return to the north was through military action.

Israel says Hamas 'lost its fighting spirit', claims to have more experience and new members

For his part, Mr. Hochstein warned that a large-scale campaign against Hezbollah would not bring safety to the people, but would instead risk triggering a prolonged war in the region. Experts assess Hezbollah's military potential as considerable, adding that a large-scale conflict with Israel would cause significant losses for both sides, in addition to increasing pressure on humanitarian issues.

Rockets launched from Lebanon to Israel were intercepted in the air on September 16.

Assaf Orion, a former Israeli army major general and now a researcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (based in the US), wrote in Foreign Affairs magazine on September 12 that in the past year, Hezbollah has launched more than 7,600 rockets at Israel, and Tel Aviv has attacked more than 7,700 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. "In a full-scale war, such a scale could take place in a few days," Orion said, adding that if supported by Iran with missiles and drones, Hezbollah's arsenal would significantly challenge Israel's air defense system.

Houthi escalates tensions

In the event of a full-scale conflict, Israel would likely face not only Hezbollah, but also armed groups in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, which have clashed with Tel Aviv in recent months. The Houthis in Yemen recently issued a warning shot at central Israel on September 15. This is the first time a Houthi missile has reached so deep into Israeli territory, according to Reuters. After the attack, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree warned that there would be more attacks on Israel in the future. On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that the Houthis would "pay a heavy price."

Houthi supersonic missiles defeat Israeli air defense network

Foreign Policy on September 11 carried an analysis by Mr. Steven A. Cook, a researcher at the Council on Foreign Relations (headquartered in the US), stating that the Houthis have their own goals and will likely continue to attack Israel and hinder cargo ships in the Red Sea even if Israel and Hamas reach a ceasefire agreement. According to Mr. Cook, the Houthis are confronting factions in Yemen. Continuing to attack Israel and cargo ships in the Red Sea can help the Houthis gain political benefits, thereby building their position in Yemen.

According to The Wall Street Journal , Israel has carried out many attacks on Houthi-controlled infrastructure in Yemen in recent months, with the aim of deterrence. However, the latest Houthi attack partly shows that Israel's actions have not been able to shake this armed group.

Hezbollah pagers explode in series

Lebanon's health ministry said on September 17 that at least eight people were killed and 2,750 injured in a series of pager explosions across the country, according to Reuters. Earlier in the day, a security source said more than 1,000 Hezbollah members were injured when pagers they used to communicate suddenly exploded. A Hezbollah official said it was the "biggest security incident" in nearly a year of escalating tensions with Israel. Al Jazeera reported that hospitals in Lebanon urged people to donate blood, regardless of type. Mehr news agency said that Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was also injured by pager explosions. The pagers that exploded were the latest models purchased by Hezbollah in recent months, according to security sources.

Khanh An

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/trung-dong-ngoi-tren-dong-lua-185240917223312638.htm