Fears of all-out regional war are growing as Palestinian stabs two to death in a city near Tel Aviv
An Israeli airstrike killed four people in a tent inside a hospital complex in Gaza early on Sunday, and a Palestinian stabbed two people to death in a city south near Tel Aviv, amid reports of heated disagreements between US and Israeli leaders about a possible ceasefire deal.
Fears of all-out war in the region have escalated after assassinations this week of the Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah number two in Beirut.
France and Italy became the latest countries to urge their citizens to leave Lebanon, as Israelis reported GPS jamming around Tel Aviv on Sunday, something the Israeli military has said in the past it does to counter the threats of drones and missiles.
Iran has sworn revenge for the killings of two key allies. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday that the country was ready for any scenario and would “exact a heavy price” for any retaliation.
The US has also promised to defend Israel, ordering an aircraft carrier to sail to the region and moving other military assets into position.
Despite the promise of US solidarity in the face of Iranian attack, US President Joe Biden has been open about concerns that the killing of Haniyeh will complicate efforts to stop fighting in Gaza, which is key to regional de-escalation.
