On October 7th marks the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel by the Palestinian armed organization. Over the past year, the situation in the Middle East has continued to escalate. Israel has not only engaged in conflict with Hamas but has also actively countered attacks from Hezbollah and Houthi armed groups. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Saturday that Israel is currently fighting on seven fronts.
In a video statement on Saturday, Netanyahu expressed that Israel is defending itself on seven fronts, combating its enemies. These enemies include the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, Hamas in Gaza, Houthi armed groups in Yemen, “terrorists” in the West Bank, and Shia militia organizations in Iraq and Syria.
“We are also battling Iran, which directly launched over 200 ballistic missiles at Israel last week and is the mastermind behind these seven fronts against Israel,” he said.
Israel also responded to French President Macron’s call for an arms embargo on Israel. Netanyahu deemed Macron’s statements as a disgrace and emphasized that all civilized nations should firmly stand with Israel in the face of barbaric forces led by Iran.
“Do any of these countries imposing an arms embargo on Israel do the same to Iran’s proxies?” Netanyahu questioned. “Of course not. This terror axis stands united.”
“However, those who claim to oppose this terror axis are calling for an arms embargo on Israel. What a disgrace!” Netanyahu continued.
Netanyahu pledged that Israel will emerge victorious, with or without their support. “Rest assured, for us and for the world’s peace and security, Israel will fight until the end,” he declared.
Following Netanyahu’s remarks, France reiterated its support for Israel. The French Presidential Palace expressed regret over Netanyahu’s “exaggerated” statements and assured that France would not allow Iran or its proxies to attack Israel.
The Palace clarified that Macron believes it is imperative to prevent further escalation in the Middle East, including an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Against this backdrop, the President urged to halt the transportation of weapons to Israel for the Gaza conflict.
Netanyahu stated that he is fulfilling his commitment to shifting the power balance between Israel’s north and Lebanon. According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), since October 8th last year, Israel has launched nearly 9,000 attacks on Lebanon, while Hezbollah conducted 1,500 attacks during the same period.
Regarding Gaza, Netanyahu asserted that Israel has the right to defend itself and will not forget the 101 hostages in Gaza. “We will do everything to bring them back home,” he said.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing over a thousand Israeli civilians and taking numerous hostages. Israel then initiated the Gaza War to eradicate Hamas. On October 8, 2023, Hamas’ ally, Hezbollah in Lebanon, began attacking the northern border of Israel to force a halt to the Gaza War, resulting in around 60,000 Israeli civilians being displaced.
Israel has recently intensified its bombardment of Hezbollah to eliminate threats along the northern border. The continuous airstrikes on Beirut, Lebanon, have eliminated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and several commanders, causing significant turmoil within Hezbollah’s leadership and dealing a major blow to Hezbollah and its Iranian backers.