The statement comes as world leaders engage in a desperate diplomatic mission to avoid a regional war flaring up.
Israel has issued a staggering warning that it is equipped to strike any target across the Middle East, as it continues to face mounting pressure to halt its deadly aggression on Gaza, according to reports.
Israel’s military Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi made the warning during a visit to the Israeli Nevatim airbase on Monday, pointing to the F-35I jet’s military capabilities.
“We are already a month into the war, hitting Hamas very, very hard, hitting the leadership of Hamas, hitting the commanders, hitting the terrorists, destroying Hamas’s infrastructure in Gaza, and we are also constantly ready for other areas,” he said to occupation soldiers at the base.
“This [air] base knows how to reach anywhere in the Middle East.”
The statement was widely perceived as a threat by Middle East analysts in the region and further proof of how the “Zionist project” does not only encompass Palestine.
“The entire region is in danger and will continue to live in hell as long as Israel exists. Normalisers and traitors will taste their share of oppression. No one is safe as long as the Zionist project exists in our land,” said Rawand, a writer, in a post on X.
“In the morning, someone talks about launching a nuclear bomb, and in the afternoon someone threatens to bomb all the Arab capitals. What humiliation and disgrace,” said another user.
“Will we hear a strong response from any Arab country toward these dangerous threats?” Editor-in-Chief of American and International Affairs, Dr.Sam Yousef questioned.
Meanwhile, author and professor, Dr Abdullah Shayji said: “This thuggery and bullying of the Zionists exceeds borders and disdains the sovereignty of states…and threatens security, stability, and regional and international peace.This threat is condemnable and all countries must denounce this shameless provocation!!”
Regional flare-up
Since the start of the war on October 7, Israel has killed more than 10,000 Palestinians, including 4,104 children—who represent 40% of the total toll.
The mounting death toll and intensifying Israeli attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip have raised concerns of a wider regional conflict. Leaders around the region have scrambled to contain such a scenario as Israel remains unwavering in its relentless bombing campaign.
Earlier this week Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to brush aside calls for a “humanitarian pause” by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and vowed to continue its war “with all its power”.
So far, at least four UN resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire have been vetoed by the US, one of these resolutions called for “humanitarian pauses” to deliver lifesaving aid to millions in Gaza. The US also vetoed a UN resolution aiming to condemn all violence against civilians in the Israeli assault and allow humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
Meanwhile, there have been notable escalations on the Lebanese-Israeli border, where an Israeli airstrike killed four civilians – three children and their grandmother. That attack came just days after Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Friday broke his silence on Israel’s onslaught of Gaza, highlighting that his group had already “entered the battle”.
The top Hezbollah official threatened it “will not be limited to this” though fell short of announcing a full engagement in the war.
Additionally, US military outposts in Iraq and Syria have been targeted by Iranian-backed militia groups 38 times in a span of less than a month. This includes a spate of six attacks within the last two days, according to the Department of Defense.
Recent reports have also pointed to the interception of drones directed at the Ain Al-Assad base in Iraq’s Anbar province and the Al-Tanf garrison at the tri-border area of Syria, Iraq, and Jordan. These attacks, primarily via rockets and drones, have escalated since October 17, shortly after Israel initiated its worst wars on Gaza.
On Monday, Yemen’s Houthi rebels also claimed to have launched a fresh drone attack against Israel, and warned about expanding the war if the US continues backing Israel.
Across the border in Jordan, Foreign Minister Ayman Al-Safadi warned that any attempts at displacing Palestinians from the occupied West Bank or Gaza would be considered by the country as a declaration of war.
Such efforts by Israel “is a red line for Jordan, as we will confront it with all our capabilities because it is a violation of international law,” said Al-Safadi during an emergency parliamentary session on Gaza on Monday.
Last week, Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Jordan’s King Abdullah II called for international action in effectively reaching a ceasefire in Gaza during a meeting in Doha.
During the meeting in Doha, Sheikh Tamim and King Abdullah “exchanged views on advancing regional and international diplomatic efforts to demand an immediate ceasefire” in Gaza, as per an Amiri Diwan statement.
“My brother, Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, and I discussed developments in the situation in Gaza, and our joint diplomatic efforts to push for an immediate ceasefire, protect civilians, and open safe corridors to provide all necessary humanitarian aid,” Sheikh Tamim separately said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Royal Hashemite Court (RHC) said in a statement that the Jordanian leader “warned against the expansion of the cycle of violence into the region” while stressing “that a military or a security solution will not succeed in resolving the Palestinian issue.”
“The King renewed Jordan’s rejection of attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinians in Gaza or cause their internal displacement. His Majesty commended Qatar’s positions towards the Palestinians, as well as its efforts, under the leadership of Sheikh Tamim, to coordinate with Arab countries and other stakeholders in working to stop the war and maintain calm,” the RHC added.
Jordan, together with Qatar, has been at the forefront of talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire in Gaza.
Reputational blow
Halevi’s visit to the base has been widely perceived as an attempt to boost morale as the occupation’s military faces challenges in its ground assault on Gaza, suffering a high death count and a reputational blow.
So far, the occupation military has announced that 34 of its soldiers have been killed in its weeks-long event to launch a ground invasion.
Experts believe Israel’s casualty count to be high for the duration of the campaign and the resources they have at their disposal. Meanwhile, Hamas has been demonstrating increased military capability and tactics, with video footage showing its attacks on Israeli tanks and military positions.
