By: Naeem Ashraf Mushtaha
Israeli violations against Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa have increased amid popular resistance from the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and occupied Palestinian territories. Palestinians opted to resist at Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa during the whole month of Ramadan, which coincided with the Jewish Passover. Noteworthy, this is a special feast for which Israelis pay special care; one of its foremost rituals is “slaughtering oblations” in preparation for establishing the Alleged Temple.
The Palestinian resistance sent warning signals to the Israeli occupation's political and military classes. The signals are represented by the resistance's potential intervention in the event of a change in the established equation, which was set following the Battle of Saif al-Quds in May 2021. These signals came from the words of the Deputy Chief of the Qassam Staff, Marwan Issa. Hence, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, has taken the necessary precautions not to engage in such a battle with the Palestinian resistance, especially now that Israel is hanging in the balance. To wit, the Israeli demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian streets make the situation unstable, as Netanyahu clings to his government and tries to conduct judicial reforms.
The incursions into Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa persisted, and thus a new equation emerged that the occupation was unaware of at the time. This equation manifested itself in the launch of a barrage of missiles from southern Lebanon under the control of “Hezbollah.” Noteworthy, the Israeli occupation views Hezbollah as one of “Iran's” most crucial tools in the Middle East. Therefore, the occupation held Hezbollah entirely accountable for what occurred. Not only this, but another barrage of missiles was launched from Syria, which responded by stating that it was in retaliation for the attacks on the Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa.
In a related context, Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements' leaders asserted that any assault on Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa or the Palestinian resistance would be met with multiple united fronts that the Israeli occupation wouldn't be able to confront. This is corroborated by the assertion made by Aviv Kochavi, the formal Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Force, that Israel faces the threat of a multi-front war. These fronts include Gaza, the occupied West Bank, southern Lebanon, Syria, and Iran. Notably, he refused to disclose the other fronts, justifying this by upholding information security.
In response to the rocket fire from southern Lebanon, the Israeli Air Force targeted multiple sites for Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It justified its attack by noting that Hamas has a military wing in Lebanon, while Hamas leaders remained silent to defend their attack.
Subsequently, Netanyahu decided to prevent any storming of Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa during the final ten days of Ramadan. This decision came out of Netanyahu's assertion that engaging in a conflict with the Palestinian resistance in Ramadan would be a nightmare for the Israeli occupation; given how often the Palestinians enjoy winning large-scale victories during that time.
Israel has made sufficient attempts to portray many Palestinian leaders, who motivate the external fronts with Gaza in mind, as terrorists. In particular, Saleh al-Arouri, the second man in Hamas and the deputy head of the political bureau of Hamas. Notably, Israel's military and security apparatus views Saleh Al-Arouri as the top leader for all Palestinian resistance groups in the occupied West Bank, the exterior fronts, and the occupied Palestinian interior. As a result, it is most likely that Netanyahu will give the Israeli Mossad chief the go-ahead to assassinate “Al-Arouri” or other political and military leaders. Therefore, it's now appropriate to carry out the assassination of a major Palestinian leader. The Israeli occupation may take advantage of the approaching Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr and Hezbollah's lax security measures, to conduct the long-planned assassination.
In addition, Netanyahu will use the silent assassination strategy that he has employed since assuming power in 1997. On the other hand, the Palestinian resistance, will control the situation by employing a strategy of containment similar to that of Iran and Hezbollah. It will do so by using the strategy of escalations as a buildup to a greater conflict, in which it will invest the power it has gathered over time.