A four-and-a-half-front war for Israel

With the US pre-occupation with elections and till the time a new President occupies the White House in January 2025, Israel has a window.

- AJAY SINGH

Israel is no stranger to facing multiple threats combined Arab states in a desperate battle for survival. In 1967, it fought and defeated a coalition of Egypt, Jordan and Syria in just six days. It has been facing multiple threats virtually every year of its existence. Today, it is fighting on four frontsfour and a half to be exact. The major front is against the Hamas in Gaza, which now nearing conclusion. The Northern front in Lebanon against the Hezbollah has become the major battleground, as the action shifts there. And the third and most significant front lies against Iran-its sworn and most ardent enemy-which could determine the entire course of the Middle East. It is also fighting a "half-front war" (in a terminology used by the Indian military) with terrorist groups in the West Bank, Syria, and the Houthis-which, can cause significant damage. And the course of all these wars will be decided by another front-the US presidential elections in November 2024-whose results will determine how the wars of the Middle East-and in other places-will pan out.

It has been a year now since the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023. When Israel raged into Gaza its aim was retribution-nothing more. It has attained that in more than enough measure. Hamas has been virtually destroyed, the entire leadership responsible for the attacks-including Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, Marwan Issa, Ismail Haniyeh and others-have been eliminated; 17,000 Hamas cadres and over 41,000 Gazans have been killed. The enclave has been reduced to rubble and 1.8 million Gazans-90% of its population-have been displaced. Their only crime was being seen as cheering when Hamas committed its horrific atrocities. In their aim to attain long term security, Israel now seems intent on reducing Gaza so completely, that it would take generations for Gazans to be able to merely stand on their own feet-leave along fight another war with Israel.