he Gaza-Israel war, which began in October 2023, has evolved into a major regional crisis, marked by significant civilian casualties, displacement, infrastructure destruction and geopolitical repercussions for all stakeholders. Israel’s military response to Hamas’s attacks has been characterised by sustained air and ground operations in Gaza, ostensibly aimed at dismantling the latter’s military capability. However, the scale of destruction has been immense, with the death toll in Gaza surpassing 46,000, primarily including children and women. The Unites Nations, human rights organisations and other independent observers have altered the world about the ongoing starvation of hundreds and thousands of war-ravaged Gazans. Many see this as a war tactic by the Israelis regime to clear the area of Palestinians and then occupy it for good.

With no ceasefire in sight for the Gaza-Palestine war despite the UN pronouncements, regional calls for peace and, importantly, global protests especially by students in the Western world, the Netanyahu-led Zionist regime has expanded the war zone. Indeed, Israel’s airstrikes on Lebanon signify the expansion of hostilities, while targeting Hezbollah’s perceived support for Hamas. In recent weeks, the Israel-Lebanon border has seen skirmishes escalating into direct confrontation, with Hezbollah firing rockets into northern Israel and Israel responding with airstrikes on the Lebanese territory. Militarily, Israel’s stated aim is to neutralise Hezbollah’s fighting capability and deter further attacks.

For Lebanon, the consequences have been severe. Politically, the Israeli attacks have exacerbated Lebanon’s internal divisions. The fragile Lebanese government, already struggling with lingering economic woes and public discontent, faces the dual challenge of managing internal instability and external threats. Economically, Israeli strikes have destroyed critical infrastructure in the country, including power plants, roads and agricultural areas, thus, worsening Lebanon’s ongoing financial crisis. Socially, the strikes have displaced thousands, adding to the strain on a country hosting over a million Syrian refugees. The psychological toll on Lebanese society, already grappling with the aftermath of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, has been immense.

Importantly, no ceasefire has materialised in the case of Hamas-Israel fighting where the latter’s killing spree has gone on for longer than a year. The temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was agreed with significant international involvement. The United States and European Union urged the Zionist regime to avoid escalating the conflict further as this could destabilise the entire region. Regionally, Qatar and Egypt played pivotal roles in terms of backdoor diplomacy that has been futile in the case of the genocidal Gaza war. A temporary ceasefire appears to be an Israeli ploy to halt its killing machines in Lebanon and focus on Gaza. It has also violated the ceasefire at will. For Hezbollah, agreeing to the ceasefire was a strategic move to conserve meager resources and maintain its image as a resistance force without plunging Lebanon into a full-scale war.

Despite the agreed ceasefire, the Israeli military resumed targeted strikes against Hezbollah, citing provocations and perceived security threats along its northern border. This breach underscores Israel’s broad security doctrine, which prioritises preemptive strikes to neutralise threats before they materialise. However, these actions carry significant implications. Violating the ceasefire risks alienating international mediators and undermines diplomatic efforts to stabilise the region. It also raises the specter of a broader Israel-Hezbollah war that could draw in Iran and Syria thus resulting into a regional conflagration. In addition, the Israeli violations of ceasefire reflect the inherent instability of temporary truces in a region where deep-seated grievances and mutual mistrust persist. Continued Israeli aggression could further destabilise an already precarious political and economic situation in Lebanon.

Despite the ceasefire it has announced, the Israeli military resumed targeted strikes against Hezbollah, citing provocations and perceived security threats along its northern border. This breach underscores Israel’s broader security doctrine, which prioritises preemptive strikes to neutralise threats before they materialise.

While the world (media) was focused on the Gaza-Israel war and the way Israeli war machine has been targeting civilians and their infrastructure in Lebanon, Syria, another key country in the neighbourhood, witnessed aggression against its sovereignty. The attack was launched by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group formerly known as the Nusra Front, which was an Al-Qaeda affiliate in the Syrian conflict until 2016. Under the leadership of Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the HTS has established itself as the dominant faction in Syria’s Idlib province, a key stronghold for rebels even as President Assad regained control of other parts of the country. The United States, Russia, Turkey, and several other nations have classified HTS as a terrorist organisation. This assault on Aleppo signals the resurgence of conflict in Syria, still reeling from over a decade of civil war. The attack was aimed apparently to weaken the government’s hold over northern Syria.

While tangible evidence is needed to establish direct links between the rebels and the Zionist regime, the timing of the attack and the geopolitical context suggest that Netanyahu and Co are set to derive benefit from the weakening, or collapse, of the Assad regime. Supported by Russia and Iran, the regime faces significant challenges in responding to the rebels. While it retains military edge in some parts of the country, the renewed conflict will strain its resources and highlight the fragility of its post-war recovery. The latest attack also complicates Syria’s relations with its neighbours including Turkey.

For the Middle East, the renewed violence in Syria underscores the interconnected nature of regional conflicts. The Aleppo attack has diverted attention from Gaza and Lebanon but exacerbated the region’s instability. The possibility of prolonged conflict in Syria could undermine peace efforts, as regional actors prioritise their strategic interests over collective stability. The conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria reflect the complexity of the Middle East’s geopolitical landscape. The region has witnessed more wars than peace since the Cold War. Israel’s aggressive posture, supported by its Western allies, is in stark contrast with efforts by regional powers such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt to mediate and stabilise the region. These conflicts reveal the limits of diplomatic interventions in addressing deep-rooted grievances, including the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, sectarian divisions and economic disparities.

The humanitarian toll of these conflicts cannot be overstated. In Gaza, the destruction of infrastructure and mass displacement represent a crisis of unprecedented scale. Lebanon faces economic ruin and political fragmentation. The renewed conflict in Syria threatens to undo years of fragile recovery.

The wars ravaging Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, along with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, represent some of the most pressing humanitarian crises of our time. The consequences of these wars and armed conflicts are immeasurable thousands of lives lost, entire communities displaced, and infrastructures decimated. The suffering is profound. The international community cannot remain indifferent to the pain and destruction faced by these regions. The US, the EU and China, in particular and other regional powers, in general, must urgently exert diplomatic, economic and political pressure on Israel, Iran and other actors to end these conflicts. The expanding war zone in the Middle East will not only disrupt global supply chains but also ruin human dignity, civilisation and the climate.

The writer has a PhD in political science from Heidelberg University and a post-doc from University of California, Berkeley. He is a DAAD, FDDI and Fulbright fellow and an associate professor at Lahore School of Economics. He can be reached at ejaz.bhatty@gmail.com