Escalation in the Northern Israel: Rockets, Tensions, and Negotiations

A report by Amale Chehade, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine 

To the sound of sirens, the remaining residents of Kiryat Shmona and its surrounding area awoke to the sight of burning cars and properties, with one casualty identified as Zaher Beshara, from Ein Qiniyye in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, and dozens more injured.

Hezbollah's bombardment came in response to airstrikes carried out by the Israeli Air Force, resulting in the deaths of seven individuals in the village of Habbariya in the south on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced the intensification of exercises in the northern region, where new equipment, including fire extinguishing trucks, has been deployed, and new emergency rooms have been opened. Military officials believe that recent developments may bring this region closer to ignition.

This security escalation comes at a time when there has been no progress in negotiations for a hostage exchange deal, following Israel's rejection of Hamas's demands in their entirety and the movement's refusal to make concessions, especially regarding the return of Gaza residents to the north and the equation of exchanging Palestinian prisoners with female Israeli soldiers.

Netanyahu, who has brought the negotiating delegation back from Qatar, called for a cabinet meeting on Tuesday evening but later canceled it.

Some ministers in the cabinet have stated that Netanyahu is exaggerating in his statements about reaching a dead end in negotiations and that there is still room for agreements, specifically related to the corridor that Hamas demands to ensure the return of northern residents.

On the ground, reserve officers and soldiers revealed that only two battalions are fighting in Gaza, and soldiers are frustrated by their inability to continue the war. At the same time, both Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, present in Washington, insist on intensifying the fighting and eventually invading Rafah in an attempt to pressure Hamas into a deal.

At the same time, security and political figures have called on mediators involved in the prisoner exchange deal to increase pressure on the movement, including threatening to expel its leaders from Qatar, coinciding with an Israeli threat to deport the families of leaders from Gaza. Despite this, most Israelis are convinced that Benjamin Netanyahu is the one hindering the deal.