Unraveling the Impact: A Comprehensive Look at the al-Aqsa Flood and Regional Ramifications

A report by Tony Mrad, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine 

Behind Hamas and Israel, there are regional and international forces that entered the war with declared and undeclared objectives.

The United States, until now, has achieved one thing for sure, which is preventing the expansion of the war in the Middle East. However, it has yet to come close to achieving the establishment of two states, the success of the prisoner exchange deal, and the elimination of Hamas, which it considers a terrorist organization despite all the military support it has provided to Tel Aviv.

On the other hand, Tehran:

It declared from the start of the war that it did not want its expansion, which was translated through a very calculated response it directed towards Israel after targeting its consulate in Damascus.

Several supportive fronts backed by Iran were opened against Israel to stop the war on the Gaza Strip, but they have not achieved their goal so far. Although Tehran was against expanding the war and did not participate in it, it ultimately engaged temporarily when it responded to the shelling of its consulate in Damascus by sending hundreds of missiles and drones to Israel.

Iran's allies in the region entered the war with declared objectives. The Houthis declared that they would target all ships heading to Israel to pressure it and the countries supporting it to stop the war. Although they managed to disrupt international trade for the first time since the 1973 war in the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea, the war did not stop.

Hezbollah, which announced on the 8th of October the opening of confrontations in the south in support of the Gaza Strip, succeeded in breaking the Israeli army, which was forced to move a number of its units to the northern borders, leading to the displacement of over a hundred thousand settlers demanding to return to their towns.

This success, however, led to the displacement of over a hundred thousand Lebanese from the southern border villages, a large part of which was destroyed, amid an increase in the number of martyrs for Hezbollah.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, in turn, supported the strip by bombing Israeli territory and some US bases.

However, its operations have decreased lately, especially after it put itself in a confrontation with Washington.

Amidst all this, Arab states, led by Qatar and Egypt, which play a pivotal role in the negotiations for the prisoner swap deal, as well as the Arab Group in the United Nations, moved to impose voting on the principle of recognizing the State of Palestine on everyone.

In conclusion, the war is prolonged, its objectives have not been achieved, Palestinians are paying the price in blood, while the world negotiates to redraw the map of the Middle East.