Israel at war on three fronts

Published: 30 September 2024

Last updated: 30 September 2024

Israel is now effectively at war on three fronts: against Hamas in Gaza, against Hezbollah in Lebanon and against the Houthis in Yemen. It also faces a potential fourth front with additional forces called up in the West Bank.

On the northern front:

Israel has assassinated several key Hezbollah commanders, including Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and five other key commanders and advisers. Nasrallah’s funeral has been delayed and the terrorist group has yet to name a successor, with obvious candidates killed too.
Israel continues to pound Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, causing damage to both terrorist targets and civilians. Lebanon’s prime minister said more than 1,000 people have been killed over the past two weeks and up to a million may be displaced.
Israel’s Iron Dome has successfully intercepted continuing barrages of Hezbollah rockets but there are fears the country’s defence systems could be overpowered.

In the south:

Dozens of Israeli planes have struck infrastructure targets in Yemen, taking out power plants and a port and killing four people.
The Israeli attack was in response to Houthi missiles which targeted Ben Gurion airport as a plane carrying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived.

In Gaza:

The IDF has assessed Hamas as defeated militarily in the entire Gaza Strip and reduced to a guerrilla terror group.
The IDF has labelled dismantling Hamas as the most important war goal in the south, but said returning the hostages is a more urgent goal and it is receiving priority.

In the West Bank: