Israel says 'highly prepared for any scenario' as Lebanon and Syria get drawn into Israel-Palestine conflict

Israel is at the risk of facing multiple fronts amidst the ongoing war in Gaza. Hezbollah and Syrian militias could increase their attacks on Israel to destabilize Israel's Defense Forces mission in Gaza. However, Israel looks prepared to face any scenario.

The New Year has brought fresh opportunities for Israel against Hamas. Israel Defence Forces launched a new series of assaults on Hamas that also included a strike in Lebanon’s Beirut. Israel began New Year's Eve with an attack on Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip amounting to the killing of at least a dozen. However, it is reported that Hamas invited the attack as it was the Palestinian outfit that began with firing rockets.

Israel’s Iron Dome was successful in combating the rocket attacks and shielding the civilians. On Tuesday, Israel struck Beirut in a precision-based strike that successfully eliminated Hamas’ political number two. Saleh al-Arouri hid in Lebanon after the October 7 attacks that were orchestrated by Hamas on Israeli civilians. Another senior Hamas leader, Khalil al-Hayya was also eliminated in the attack on Tuesday. 

The Hamas leaders were living under the protection of Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon. Post the Tuesday attack, Hezbollah has vowed vengeance that could draw Lebanon into the conflict. On the other side, Syria has increased its attack on the Golan Heights to ward Israel's attention from the Gaza Strip. Syrian militias recently struck two Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights region.

The attack came as soon as Israel announced that it would move a significant amount of its troops from the Syrian border to further solidify its hold on the Gaza Strip. The Syrian militias and Hezbollah could open multiple fronts to cause disturbance in Israel’s mission of wiping out Hamas from the Gaza Strip. However, a confident Israel has revealed that it is ready for any eventuality. The conflict could be set to further intensify in the coming weeks due to the involvement of multiple stakeholders.