The conflict between Israel and Hamas has escalated to a new level of violence, as Iran warns that the war may spread to other fronts in the region. Israel has continued to bombard the besieged Gaza Strip, killing more than 1,200 Palestinians and injuring thousands more.
Hamas has fired rockets into Israel, killing at least 25 Americans and taking hostages. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, as the only power station has stopped working and more than 330,000 people have been displaced.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Beirut on Thursday and met with representatives of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. He said that if Israel’s attacks on Gaza do not stop, the war may open on “other fronts” – an apparent reference to the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which is allied with Tehran. Hezbollah has been involved in several clashes with Israel along Lebanon’s southern border in recent weeks. Amir-Abdollahian also visited Iraq and is expected to visit Syria later this week as part of a regional tour.