Tensions in the Middle East have reached new critical levels. The security situation has deteriorated sharply both locally in the Palestinian territories and in the wider regional geopolitical conflict involving the US and Iran.
Fire attacks in the West Bank
In the early hours of the day, a group of radical Jewish settlers carried out a coordinated attack in the Palestinian village of Al-Tuwani, located in the Southern Hills of Hebron. The attackers set fire to the local mosque “Al-Taqwa“, two residential buildings and a dairy factory run by the local community. The walls of the burned-out Muslim temple were covered in hateful Hebrew slogans and the Star of David.
The Palestinian Ministry of Charity and Religious Affairs described the incident as a “full-scale terrorist act“. Israeli police said they had launched an investigation, but no suspects had been arrested so far. According to (Haaretz - www.haaretz.com), the incident is being viewed by local communities as revenge for an earlier fire in the nearby Israeli settlement of Havat Gilad.
Washington strengthens airlift to Israel
Along with the internal clashes, the US is expanding its military footprint in the region. Israeli military sources have confirmed that dozens more US aircraft are arriving in the country for mid-air refueling. The purpose of their deployment is to support intensive military operations and ongoing US air strikes against key infrastructure in Iran.
The agency (Reuters - www.reuters.com) reported that the new wave of US tankers is being deployed directly to the air bases of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to avoid the collapse and blockage of civilian airspace at the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.
Risk of full-scale war
The regional escalation has intensified sharply after the previous temporary ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran finally collapsed a month ago. Over the past week, the US military has carried out massive strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz, destroying transport hubs and strategic bridges of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In response, Iran has attacked US logistics bases in Kuwait and Jordan with drones and missiles. The urgent deployment of a refueling fleet to Israel indicates that the White House is preparing a broader campaign that could include Iran's nuclear facilities.