Tel Aviv, Israel – In a move that reflects the escalating tensions on the Palestinian-Israeli front, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu office announced that he had issued “strict and clear” instructions to the army to respond immediately and violently to what he described as “repeated Hamas violations.”
Stressing that Tel Aviv “will not accept the imposition of new equations by any party.”
During an expanded security meeting that included army commanders, the Shin Bet, and the Minister of Defense,
Netanyahu stressed the need to take “strong field measures to restore deterrence and impose calm by force.”
Adding that Israel “will not hesitate to expand operations if necessary.”
Netanyahu Redeployment
Israeli military sources revealed that the army has raised the alert level around the Gaza Strip to maximum.
With the redeployment of combat units and the reinforcement of Iron Dome systems in anticipation of any sudden escalation.
In contrast, Palestinian factions warned that “any new aggression against Gaza will be met with a painful response.”
Stressing that the resistance “will not stand idly by in the face of Israeli attacks.”
Political and popular pressure
In the same context, observers believe that Netanyahu’s statements come at a critical time domestically.
He also faces increasing political and popular pressure against the backdrop of his judicial crises and divisions within his government.
This is what is driving him, according to analysts, to “escape forward” through a security escalation that will restore his internal initiative.
Meanwhile, the United Nations and the European Union called for “restraint and avoiding escalation.”
Warning that any large-scale military operation in Gaza could plunge the region back into open violence and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the besieged Strip.
