The Guardian newspaper published a report by its Washington correspondent, Julian Borger, in which he said that the Middle East is slowly approaching the brink of a wide-ranging regional war because of the war in Gaza. He said that escalation could lead to a direct confrontation between Iran and Israel, dragging the United States into war.

He said that the Middle East is approaching the abyss, since the Hamas attack on October 7 and the fierce Israeli response, which pushed the confrontation closer to falling into the abyss.

Hours after the outbreak of war in Gaza, Lebanese Hezbollah began firing against towns in northern Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians, prompting an Israeli response, along with attacks from the Houthis against commercial ships supposedly linked to Israel. Israel moved two aircraft carriers and accompanying ground forces to the region where American military bases in Syria and Iraq were attacked, which led to a retaliatory response from Washington.

At the same time, protests broke out in the West Bank, and extremist Jews tried to exploit the wave by seizing control of Palestinian lands and terrorizing the population. In each of these theatres, there is the potential for any of them to ignite the flames of war in the Middle East. Recent days have revealed the possibility of ignition and dragging the United States into war with Iran. Israel killed a leader in the Revolutionary Guards in a raid on Damascus. Iran vowed to respond to the killing of prominent leader Reza Mousavi, who was responsible for coordination with Hezbollah and the Syrian regime.

At the same time, Iran's allies in Yemen are attacking commercial ships, which led to the launch of the American coalition known as the “Guardian of Prosperity.” Central Command issued a statement in which it said that Washington “has every reason to believe that the attacks launched by the Houthis are fully supported by Iran.” . If a warship strikes, President Joe Biden will be under pressure to respond, at a time when he is entering an election year, when Republicans are trying to look for any weakness.

In an article published in an American newspaper, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called on hawks in Israel and the United States to confront Iran directly, otherwise they will deal with its threat and its affiliated groups permanently.

In an article published by the Wall Street Journal, he said that “the United States and Israel must set a clear goal to overthrow the evil Iranian regime.” This is not only possible, but it is necessary for the safety and security of the Middle East, and for the entire civilized world.”

At a meeting on Friday at the UN Security Council to discuss violence in the West Bank, the debate quickly turned to the regional situation. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan said that talk about settler violence in the West Bank is an attempt to divert attention from the Lebanese Hezbollah threat. He said, “The situation in northern Israel has reached the point of no return,” echoing what the Israelis say about the possibility of acting on their own and establishing a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli envoy said: “If the attacks continue, I repeat that the situation will escalate and may lead to an all-out war.” Lebanon must be held responsible for the aggression that emanates from its territory.” Mohammed Khaled Al-Khairy, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, told the Council that most of the exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel took place around the border, but some strikes entered the border, “which raises the prospect of an uncontrollable conflict with devastating repercussions for the populations of both countries.” Khairy added, “The risks of miscalculation and further escalation are increasing as the conflict in Gaza continues.”

Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE envoy, expressed her discomfort with the lack of action to prevent the spread of the “Gaza hell” from expanding to the West Bank, Lebanon and the rest of the Middle East. Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, about 304 Palestinians, including 79 children, have been killed in the West Bank, according to United Nations figures, compared to four Israelis. It appears “disproportionate in the death toll” that Israel is engaging in excessive killing to prevent the emergence of a new intifada in the West Bank in protest against the situation in Gaza, according to Khaled Al-Jundi, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Studies. “The Israeli mentality is their belief that they are preventing a third intifada.” “And “I think the way they act causes one.”

He pointed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an element causing tension in the region. He bears responsibility for the Hamas attack and faces the possibility of the fall of power if the war ends, but the escalation keeps him there. “Frankly, it is Netanyahu who dictates the conditions on all fronts - Gaza, the border with Lebanon, and throughout the region, and for reasons related to Netanyahu, this is his war,” and “I believe that with every passing day we are getting closer to expanding the war in the region and turning it into complete chaos.”