Since the October 2023 resistance campaign by the Palestinian group Hamas, which led to a confrontation in Gaza, Israel has been engaged in other wars throughout the Middle East.
Israel has conducted military strikes across the Middle East, targeting Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and forces in Syria. These operations, often aimed at eliminating key adversaries, reports Reuters.
Gaza
Israel's image as unbeatable in a hostile Middle East was destroyed by the unexpected 2023 resistance campaign on southern Israel.
Yahya Sinwar, one of the masterminds of the 2023 bloodshed, was among the senior Hamas officials assassinated by Israel, which has a history of war with the organization. Mohammed Deif, the elusive military head of Hamas, who had escaped seven assassination attempts, was also assassinated by Israel.
According to Gaza health officials, around 48,000 Palestinians have been dead, and the majority of the enclave has been destroyed. Israel claims to want to destroy Hamas.
West Bank
Israeli forces conducted a significant operation against resistance groups in several refugee camps in the occupied West Bank in January, when after the ceasefire in Gaza was established.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been forced from their homes as a result of the operation, which has also raised concerns that US President Donald Trump may approve a full Israeli annexation of the land that Israel took during the 1967 Middle East War.
Lebanon
On October 8, 2023, Iran's most potent regional ally, Hezbollah, an armed force based in Lebanon, launched attacks against its bitter rival Israel in support of Hamas.
Hezbollah was left badly depleted as border confrontations turned into a conflict between Israel and the group.
A string of well-planned explosions struck Hezbollah's communication equipment throughout Lebanon in the middle of September 2024. Following the simultaneous explosion of thousands of pagers, many walkie-talkies exploded the following day.
These attacks, which were among the biggest security lapses in the group's history, caused over 3,400 injuries and almost 40 fatalities.
Israel also dealt a devastating blow to Hezbollah when it killed veteran leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on Beirut. Israel also killed his presumed successor one week later.
Syria
Israel launched attacks in Syria, a key ally of Iran and a bastion for Hezbollah under tyrant Bashar al-Assad, shortly after the Israel-Hamas conflict began.
On December 8, Islamist insurgents overthrew Assad. Israel isn't taking any chances, however. One day after Assad's downfall, officials announced that Israel would increase airstrikes on Syrian weapons stockpiles and maintain a small ground force to neutralize any potential threats.
Yemen
Since Hezbollah and Hamas were significantly undermined, Yemen's Houthis have emerged as a more significant adversary of Israel.
In what it claims is solidarity with Gaza's Palestinians, it has launched over 100 attacks on international shipping since November 2023, interrupting international shipping and costing nations billions of dollars in lost income.
In December 2024, Israel launched a campaign against the Houthis by striking Yemen directly.
Iran
To avoid a direct, large-scale military conflict, Iran and Israel have been fighting a shadow war for decades. When Hamas launched an attack on Israel, their altercation turned into a full-scale war.
On April 1, 2024, Israel attacked the Iranian consulate in Damascus, which prompted Iran to launch a direct military strike.
Iran launched more than 180 ballistic missiles from Iranian territory in a massive missile attack against Israel on October 1, 2024.
On October 26, 2024, Israel attacked military installations in Iran, claiming to be retaliating for attacks by Tehran.
Editing by Michael Georgy; Additional reporting in Jerusalem by James Mackenzie; Reporting by Tala Ramadan and Jana Choukeir
