Israel and Palestinian Hamas militias are in a crossfire in southern Lebanon. Jerusalem accuses Hamas to be behind the launch of more than thirty rockets from the Lebanese district of Tire last Thursday, and responded this Friday by launching several rockets into the neighboring country.

A fact that has triggered all international alarms. Lebanon has already warned that it will not allow attacks on its territory and has demanded that the international community act in the face of an escalation that could lead to an internationalization of the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

The growing tension in the Middle East dates back to last Wednesday, when the start of Pesaj (the Jewish Passover) occurred in the middle of the month of Ramadan. That same day, the Israel Police broke into the Al Aqsa Mosque for the second time in 24 hours, the holiest Muslim temple in Jerusalem. There, his troops fired rubber bullets, grenades and tear gas against the Muslim faithful. for the second night in a row and on a particularly symbolic date.

This attack caused a response from Hamas and the bombardment of Israeli enclaves from Gaza, but the events precipitated even more this Friday, a particularly convulsive date as it coincided with the third Friday of Ramadan, Pesaj (Jewish Passover) and Good Friday. As usual, hundreds of thousands of Muslims returned to pray at the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Israeli Police once again broke into it, causing riots that have left 30 Palestinians injured and some 350 arrested.

This escalation has culminated, finally, with the launch from Gaza of the first rockets from the Palestinian militias towards Israel and, subsequently, from southern Lebanon. In total, since Wednesday, more than 60 projectiles have been launched into Israeli territory from Gaza and more than thirty from Lebanon, triggering Israel’s response this Friday morning, when Jerusalem bombed targets of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. both in the Strip and in Lebanese territory, sowing international fear of the possible extent of conflict between Palestine and Israel to other countries in the Middle East.

Lebanon mobilizes its troops

The situation has put the international community on alert. Lebanese Defense Minister Maurice Slim has already warned that the Israeli bombings represent a “direct threat” and has decided to keep the Army on alert for any new eventuality.

However, the Lebanese government has called for “pressure” on Israel to avoid a major escalation. From the Ministry of Defense they have affirmed be willing to cooperate with the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and to take “appropriate measures” to restore calm in the area.

For the moment, the Lebanese Army has confirmed that its forces are “patrolling” in coordination with UNIFIL the district of Tirefrom where at least 34 rockets have been launched this Friday, which is the largest attack since the war waged in 2006 between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah.