TEL AVIV, Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Sunday that Israel is currently engaged in a “multi-front war” with Iran and its proxies. This statement came as the United States and its allies braced themselves to defend Israel from anticipated counterstrikes and to avert a broader regional conflict.
The escalation follows nearly ten months of conflict in Gaza, and the recent killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas’ top political leader in Iran. Iran and its allies have accused Israel and threatened retaliation, while Hamas is reportedly in the process of selecting a new leader.
“We are doing everything possible to make sure that this situation does not boil over,” White House Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer told ABC.
In response to the heightened tensions, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi undertook a rare diplomatic mission to Iran, stating, “We want the escalation to end.” Meanwhile, the Pentagon has deployed substantial assets to the region. In Israel, preparations for possible escalation included reactivating bomb shelters and recalling the direct military assault by Iran in April, which followed a suspected Israeli strike that resulted in the deaths of two Iranian generals. Israel claimed to have intercepted nearly all drones and missiles during that attack.
A stabbing attack near Tel Aviv on Sunday resulted in the deaths of a woman in her 70s and an 80-year-old man, with two others wounded. Israeli police reported that the attack was carried out by a Palestinian militant who was “neutralized.”
In Gaza, the Health Ministry reported that Israeli airstrikes on two schools in Gaza City killed at least 25 people and injured 19 others, with at least one child among the deceased. Israel’s military asserted that the strikes targeted Hamas command centers, while local reports described dire conditions, with rescuers digging with their hands. “As you can see, there is no equipment to recover the injured,” said Yusuf Al-Mashharawi.
Earlier, Israeli strikes resulted in the deaths of at least 18 people, including four in a tent camp for displaced Palestinians, and a separate strike killed a girl and her parents. Another attack flattened a house in northern Gaza, killing at least eight, including three children.
Palestinian militants in Gaza fired at least five projectiles into Israeli communities near the border without causing casualties or damage, the military reported. Evacuation warnings were issued for parts of Khan Younis. Additionally, an Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City on Saturday resulted in at least 16 fatalities, which Israel’s military claimed was targeting a Hamas command center.
The current conflict, triggered by Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel that killed around 1,200 people and took approximately 250 hostages, has resulted in the deaths of at least 39,580 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ongoing airstrikes and ground operations have caused extensive destruction and displaced most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
Hezbollah and Israel have continued to exchange fire along the Lebanon border, with recent months seeing increased severity. The Lebanese National News Agency reported an Israeli strike on a house in Beit Lef, leaving two people critically wounded. Hezbollah has claimed its actions aim to relieve pressure on Hamas. Many countries, including the U.S., are advising their citizens to leave Lebanon following the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander last week.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
