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go through Ramsey Baroud 
Given the extent of the crimes Israel is willing to commit, this desperation could ultimately lead to the regional war that Israel has been trying to provoke since before the Gaza war.
On July 31, Israel assassinated Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran as part of Tel Aviv’s desperate bid for a wider conflict. It was a criminal act of desperation.
Almost immediately after the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 7, Israel hoped to use the genocide in the Gaza Strip as a means to achieve its long-term goal – to start a regional war – involving Washington, Iran and other Middle Eastern countries.
Despite its unconditional support for Iran’s genocide in Gaza and various conflicts in the region, the United States has not directly engaged in war with Iran and other countries. Although defeating Iran is a strategic goal of the United States, the United States currently lacks the will and means to achieve this goal.
Ten months after its failed war on the Gaza Strip and a military stalemate with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israel is once again accelerating its push into a wider conflict. This time, however, Israel is playing a high-stakes game, its most dangerous gamble yet.
The current stakes include Tuesday’s bombing of a residential building in Beirut to strike at a senior Hezbollah leader and, of course, the assassination of Palestine’s most high-profile, not to mention most popular, political leader. Haniyeh has successfully established and strengthened ties with Russia, China and other countries outside the Western political sphere of the United States.
Israel carefully chose the location and time of the killing of Haniyeh. The Palestinian leader was killed in the Iranian capital shortly after he attended the inauguration of the new Iranian President, Masoud Pezeshkian.
The message from Israel is mixed, with the message to the new Iranian government being that Israel is prepared to further escalate the conflict, and the message to Hamas being that Israel has no intention of ending the war or reaching a negotiated ceasefire.
The latter point is perhaps the most pressing. For months, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has done everything in his power to thwart all diplomatic efforts to end the war. By killing the chief Palestinian negotiator, Israel has sent a final and decisive message that it remains committed to violence and wants nothing more.
Ismail Haniyeh – The Palestinian refugee who became Hamas’ political leader
However, the scale of Israel’s provocations poses a huge challenge to the pro-Palestinian camp in the Middle East: how to respond with an equally strong message without engaging the entire region in a destructive war as Israel wishes.
Given the military capabilities of the so-called ‘axis of resistance’, Iran, Hezbollah and others are certainly capable of meeting this challenge, despite the risk factors.
The timing is also important: Israel’s sharp escalation in the region came after Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, which, apart from winning several standing ovations in the US Congress, did not fundamentally change the US position that it would unconditionally support Israel and would not directly participate in regional wars.
In addition, the recent clashes between the army, military police and far-right supporters in Israel show that a coup may really happen in Israel. In the words of Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid: Israel is not approaching the abyss, but is already in the abyss.
Hamas Political Bureau Chairman Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated during an Israeli attack on Tehran.
“We feel the burden of trust and responsibility for the Palestinian issue, and this responsibility has a price, and we are ready to sacrifice for it… pic.twitter.com/X0jDKCUMvi
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) July 31, 2024
It is therefore clear to Netanyahu and his far-right circle that the time and scope for their actions are increasingly limited.
By killing Haniyeh, a political leader who essentially played the role of a diplomat, Israel demonstrated the extent of its desperation and the limits of its military failure.
Given the extent of the crimes Israel is willing to commit, this desperation could ultimately lead to the regional war that Israel has been trying to provoke since before the Gaza war.
Given Washington’s weakness and indecision in the face of Israeli intransigence, Tel Aviv may eventually realize its desire to launch a regional war.
– Ramzi Baroud is a journalist and editor of the Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of six books. His latest book, co-edited with Ilan Pape, is Our Vision of Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals. Dr. Baroud is a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA). His website is www.ramzybaroud.net
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