What's happened
The conflict in the Middle East intensifies as Israel conducts military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Iran's missile attacks on Israel and the assassination of Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, have escalated tensions, prompting international concern and military responses from the U.S. and Israel.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to the New York Times, Israel's military has intensified its operations against Hezbollah, stating that it is targeting infrastructure that poses an immediate threat. The article highlights the significant casualties resulting from these operations, with over 1,110 people killed since late September. In contrast, SBS reports on Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei's vow to continue supporting regional allies against Israel, emphasizing the potential for further escalation. The Guardian notes the humanitarian impact, with over 41,615 Palestinians reported killed in Gaza since the conflict began, underscoring the dire situation for civilians caught in the crossfire. Politico adds that the Israeli military is preparing for a possible ground invasion of Lebanon, indicating a shift in strategy as the conflict evolves.
How we got here
The current escalation follows a year of conflict initiated by Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel's military operations have targeted Iranian-backed groups in Lebanon and Gaza, leading to significant casualties and geopolitical tensions in the region.
More on these topics
-
Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist militant organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
-
Hezbollah is a Shia Islamist political party and militant group based in Lebanon. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese parliament.
-
Iran, also called Persia, and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered to the northwest by Armenia and Azerbaijan, to the north by the Caspian Sea, to the northeast by Turkmenistan, to the east by Afghanistan a
-
Hassan Nasrallah is the third and current Secretary General of the Lebanese political and paramilitary party Hezbollah since his predecessor, Abbas al-Musawi, was assassinated by the Israel Defense Forces in February 1992.
-
Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
-
The Israel Defense Forces, commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal, are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force, and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has
-
Benjamin Netanyahu is an Israeli politician serving as Prime Minister of Israel since 2009, and previously from 1996 to 1999. Netanyahu is also the Chairman of the Likud – National Liberal Movement.
-
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is an American politician who is the 46th and current president of the United States. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 and represented Delaware in the United States Senate
-
The Gaza Strip, or simply Gaza, is a self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, that borders Egypt on the southwest for 11 kilometers and Israel on the east and north along a 51 km border.
-
Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei is a Twelver Shia Marja' and the second and current supreme leader of Iran, in office since 1989. He was previously the president of Iran from 1981 to 1989.