ISRAEL’S MULTI-FRONT WAR HEATS UP

Israel continues to fight in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, while facing threats from several other directions in its first multi-front war in decades. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) ground offensive in Gaza, which began on October 27, is making some progress. As of November 1, Israeli troops advanced along al-Rasheed Street on the coast of Gaza, near the city of Beit Lahia in the northeastern part of the Strip and in Wadi Gaza, right to the south of Gaza City. This advance came at a high cost. The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas Movement which rules Gaza, announced on October 31 that its fighters have so far destroyed 22 Israeli military vehicles. By November 1, the IDF had acknowledged that 11 of its troops were killed in clashes inside the Strip. Israeli bombardment on Gaza intensified after the start of the ground offensive. Around 400 civilians were killed or wounded when several strikes hit a complex of residential buildings in the Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern part of the Strip on October 31. Over 8,500 Palestinains, including more than 3,500 children and 2,100 women, have been killed since the outbreak of the war. On the other side, at least 1,418 Israelis have been killed so far, most of them during the October 7 Hamas-led surprise attack. Some 245 hostages remain in the hands of Hamas. Meanwhile on the Lebanon front, clashes between the IDF and Hezbollah continue. The Lebanese group announced on October 31 that it had targeted 105 Israeli military sites since the war in Gaza broke out. 120 Israeli troops were killed or wounded in the attacks, according to the group, which also said that 13 military vehicles and dozens of surveillance equipment were destroyed. It’s worth noting that 47 Lebanese fighters, four civilians and seven Palestinains fighters have been killed since the start of the clashes on this front. In Syria and Iraq, more attacks targeted United States forces in response to Washington unconditional support for Israel’s war on Gaza. The Pentagon announced on October 31 that 16 attacks targeted U.S. bases in Iraq and 11 others targeted bases in Syria over the past two weeks. Israel’s devastating war on Gaza even led to a reaction from Yemen. The Houthis (Ansar Allah) announced on October 31 that they had targeted Israel with missiles and drones. The Iranian-backed group also claimed responsibility for two other attacks that targeted Israel from the Red Sea on October 19 and 27. A fourth missile attack from this front was reported on November 1. Israel is reportedly considering a response. The war in Gaza is putting Israel’s ability to fight on multiple fronts simultaneously to the test. As the war escalates, the IDF could find itself facing larger threats from even more fronts. Furthermore, attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East will likely increase and become larger in scale. Overall, Israel’s stated goal of eradicating Hamas appears to be unrealistic.