A sour climate between Israel and France was caused by yesterday’s decision by President Emmanuel Macron to stop the supply of French armaments to Israel, effectively declaring the need to stop the hostilities in Gaza and Lebanon. Immediate was the angry response of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who in his speech made it clear that his country will continue military operations, with or without the military assistance of France or any other Western country that decides to do so. similar moves.

Heavy shelling

This Israeli choice is proven in practice throughout the night, during which there was the heaviest shelling that Beirut has known since the beginning of the war, and specifically the Dahiya neighborhood, a stronghold of Hezbollah. At the same time, Israeli military mobility has been intensifying since the morning in Gaza as well, centered on the Jabalia refugee camp, after a brigade was ordered to move from the “Philadelphia Axis” in the south, to the areas of northern Gaza, now reinforcing the “Netzarim Axis” road ” which divides the Palestinian enclave in two. The West Bank presents the same operational picture in recent hours, with the military forces concentrating their operations in its northern part, on the outskirts of the city of Tulkarem.

“Controlled ignition” to avoid unpleasant surprises?

As the local Israeli media emphasize, a “controlled ignition” of the fronts in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank has been underway since dawn, clarifying that the Israeli side seeks to prevent any unpleasant surprises, both on the part of the Palestinian element in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as by Hezbollah and the forces of the so-called “Axis of Resistance”, during tomorrow, the first anniversary of the start of the war and the terrorist attack by Hamas of October 7 last year.

Looking at Iran

A similar climate of “preventive reaction” but preparation also prevails in relation to the muted tension between Israel and Iran. While an imminent Israeli strike against Iran is perceived by all the regional actors involved as a foregone conclusion and expected at any moment, Israel and the US are in agreement to coordinate their forces, in the event of an additional Iranian retaliation – which is also considered certain. This is exactly what yesterday’s hurried visit to Tel Aviv by Michael Kerilla, commander of US forces stationed in the Middle East (CENTCOM) – a visit that was expected to take place in the middle of the week – demonstrated.