The region has witnessed an unprecedented escalation in tensions over recent months, culminating in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement that Israel is fighting a war on seven fronts simultaneously.
This statement raises serious questions about the traditional Israeli security doctrine, which is based on the principle of not fighting on more than two fronts. Now, however, Israel is engaging in “international bullying,” particularly in the light of the atrocities it is committing in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli security doctrine has long been based on a fundamental principle: avoiding multi-front conflicts simultaneously. This was to ensure the preservation of its military superiority and its ability to manage its resources, as its economy could not sustain prolonged, widespread conflict.
However, Netanyahu’s recent statement reveals a radical shift in this doctrine.
The Palestinian front in the Gaza Strip is the most brutal and alarming of Israel’s wars. Since 7 October 2023, Israel has been fighting a wide-scale war on the Strip, resulting in horrific massacres against children and civilians, widespread destruction of infrastructure, and the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
Reports indicate that the death toll has exceeded 58,000 people, with other estimates reaching 72,000. These numbers could be significantly higher when accounting for indirect deaths or individuals missing under the rubble.
Among the registered deceased, approximately 18,000 are children and over 12,400 are women. These figures are conservative estimates, as thousands are missing and presumed dead (over 14,000).
The number of injured has exceeded 139,000 people. Over 9,312 individuals have been detained, including 360 medical personnel. Approximately 90 per cent of Gaza’s population (over two million Palestinians) has been internally displaced.
In terms of infrastructure, 92 per cent of residential units (436,000 units) have been destroyed or damaged. Eighty per cent of commercial facilities have been damaged or destroyed, 88 per cent of schools have been damaged or destroyed, leading to the complete collapse of the education system. Over 50 per cent of hospitals are only partially operational. Approximately 65 per cent of the total road network in the Strip has been damaged.
The excessive violence is manifested in the use of the most horrific weapons against a people who possess nothing but their will and steadfastness in the face of the Israeli war machine. These actions, described by international human rights organisations as amounting to war crimes, have drawn widespread condemnation from the international community, yet they continue without effective deterrence.
Israel’s northern border with Lebanon is also witnessing continuous escalation in the war with Hizbullah. Intermittent clashes involving the exchange of rockets, shells, and airstrikes have led to the displacement of populations from both sides. This front poses a strategic threat to Israel, as Hizbullah possesses a large missile arsenal and advanced military capabilities, making any large-scale escalation carry grave risks to regional security.
Sources indicate that the death toll in Lebanon has reached between 4,000 and approximately 6,000 fatalities, including fighters from Hizbullah and other factions, as well as a large number of civilians, among them children, paramedics, medical staff, and journalists.
Some reports indicate the killing of approximately 532 Hizbullah members and over 294 civilians. The number of injured has exceeded 16,600 people. Over 875,000 people have been internally displaced from Lebanese border areas.
The total losses for Lebanon due to the Israeli aggression are estimated at around $8.5 billion. Over 100,000 residential units have been destroyed, vast areas of agricultural land (approximately 3.2 million square metres) have been damaged, and losses in crops and livestock amount to $1.2 billion. Disruptions in trade have reached about $2 billion, and tourism sector losses are estimated between $4 billion and $5 billion.
Approximately 220 commercial and industrial establishments have been destroyed, and about 166,000 individuals have lost their jobs.
WEST BANK: The West Bank is seeing escalating tensions and clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian factions. Israeli incursions into Palestinian cities and towns, widespread arrests, and the expansion of settlements all contribute to increased tension and fuel Palestinian resistance.
Total losses in the West Bank include over 950 fatalities, including at least 181 children. Over 217 journalists and media personnel have been killed. At least 503 health sector faculty members, and a large number of medical teams, have been killed. At least 483 aid workers have been killed, including 326 UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) employees.
In Yemen, Israel has faced missile and drone attacks from the Houthis in support of Gaza and the rejection of Israeli aggression. These attacks, although most have been intercepted, indicate an expansion of the conflict’s scope to more distant areas, casting a shadow over freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, threatening global economic and commercial interests.
Reports indicate that a number of civilians have been killed and injured as a result of airstrikes launched by the US and the UK on Yemen, with some sources reporting at least 266 civilian deaths and 774 injuries. Some estimates suggest that over 122 Houthi fighters have been killed, while 314 others have been injured.
Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea have resulted in the deaths of at least eight sailors and injuries to 10 others, and the sinking of several commercial vessels.
The Houthi group has announced that losses to the Hudeidah Port (a vital lifeline for 80 per cent of Yemen’s needs) due to American and Israeli raids reached approximately $1.4 billion by May this year. Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the military responses to them have led to significant disruption in global trade, with over 2,000 ships rerouting, and global trade experiencing a 1.3 per cent decline between November and December 2023.
Israel continues to target sites within Syria, claiming they belong to Iran or its allied militias. These airstrikes aim to undermine Iranian influence and prevent the smuggling of advanced weapons. Although these operations occur periodically, they increase the likelihood of a wider confrontation with Iran and its proxies.
Total losses in Syria are 567 fatalities, including 68 civilians, among them two children and eight women, in addition to approximately 45 injured. Approximately 48 targets have been destroyed, including weapons depots and vehicles.
The Aleppo International Airport has been bombed four times and rendered inoperable, and the Damascus International Airport has been bombed twice and rendered inoperable.
US bases in Iraq have witnessed intermittent attacks by Iran-backed militias, some of which have targeted Israeli interests. These attacks reflect Iran’s strategy to bolster its influence in the region through its proxies and pose a security concern for Israel.
IRANIAN CONFRONTATION: The direct confrontation between Israel and Iran recently manifested in an exchange of missile strikes, breaking the barrier of proxy confrontations and drawing both parties into direct conflict.
Israel’s attempts to drag the United States into this confrontation failed, leading to what can be described as an “absurd charade” in which lives were lost without achieving clear strategic objectives for either side but revealing an unprecedented willingness to take risks.
Israel has suffered human losses ranging from three to 28 fatalities (mostly civilians) and over 1,300 injured in its conflict with Iran. Economically, direct losses have amounted to approximately $3 billion, due to the cost of military and defensive operations ($725 million per day), significant damage to homes and vehicles, the shutdown of the Bazan refinery in Haifa, and losses for the El Al Airline.
Over 10,000 people have also been displaced, and the Israeli budget deficit is expected to increase by six per cent.
Reports indicate between 78 and 610 fatalities in Iran, including prominent leaders and nuclear scientists, and approximately 5,000 injured. Militarily, Iran has suffered heavy losses to its military infrastructure, with over 200 ballistic missile launch platforms and approximately 120 air-defence platforms destroyed. Nuclear facilities in Natanz and Fordow were also damaged, the Tabriz military airport destroyed, and key military headquarters were targeted, leading to the destruction of approximately two-thirds of its ballistic missile launchers.
The “international bullying” now being practised by Israel, characterised by its violation of international law, its continuous human rights abuses, and its disregard for UN resolutions, derives its strength from several key sources.
US political, military, and economic support is the cornerstone upon which Israel relies. This support provides Israel with diplomatic cover in international forums and ensures a continuous supply of advanced weaponry, giving it a sense of impunity. The United States uses its veto power in the Security Council against any resolution condemning Israel, preventing any real international pressure from being imposed on it.
Israel and its allies also exert significant pressure on countries that criticise its policies, often accusing them of antisemitism. This creates an environment of hesitation and fear among some nations, deterring them from taking explicit stances against it.
Israel possesses a sophisticated and modern army, equipped with the latest American and Western military technologies. This military superiority grants it the ability to carry out large-scale military operations without fear of a strong reaction from its adversaries, as it is a nuclear state that threatens all its neighbours.
Israel employs strong propaganda strategies to justify its actions and distort the image of its adversaries, which influences global public opinion and complicates the task of conveying the Palestinian narrative and the suffering experienced by the Palestinian people.
The weak coordination and lack of joint action among the Arab and Islamic countries, and the preoccupation of some with internal issues, reduces their effectiveness as a source of pressure on Israel and its supporters.
The writer is director of BUC’s Centre for Global affairs and a professor at BUC’s Political Science Department.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 6 August, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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