JERUSALEM, Israel – As Israel scores military wins both in Gaza and the north, the focus of the war seems poised to shift to Lebanon, as concerns grow over the possibility of Jordan becoming radicalized against the Jewish state.
Israel's military has largely dismantled Hamas' Rafah Brigade, eliminating more than 2,200 terrorists and destroying nearly eight miles of terror tunnels – some 80 percent of the underground tunnel network beneath the Philadelphi Corridor.
This allows the Israel Defense Forces easier access to destroy the many tunnels around Rafah that link Gaza and Egypt. Hamas used those tunnels to smuggle vast amounts of weapons into Gaza.
As Israel increasingly gains the upper hand over Hamas in the south, the IDF is looking north to launch a major operation against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant confirmed, "The center of gravity is moving to the north. We are nearing the completion of our tasks in the south."
This week, Hezbollah showed it's still a threat, hitting Israel with 100 projectiles on Wednesday and 60 more on Thursday.
As it strikes back, Israel is already targeting areas in Lebanon and Syria to weaken the terrorist group before possibly launching an all-out war to remove Hezbollah's daily threat.
The Lebanese frequently must dig through the rubble after Israeli drone strikes.
Earlier this week, Israel took out an underground Iranian missile factory in Syria.
This week, Gallant visited the troops who are likely to take part in a northern ground invasion.
He told them, "And this thing (Israel's war force) is a ready arrow, ready for action. We will know when to activate it."
Meanwhile, diplomats, such as the European Union's foreign policy chief, insist there's a peaceful solution.
Josep Borrell stated Thursday, "War is never inevitable. It depends on the will to avoid it."
Trouble could be brewing on another border as Islamists just scored big wins in Jordan's latest elections.
Palestinians make up at least half of the population in the Hashemite Kingdom, where the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood – the group from which Hamas was born – won 32 of the 138 seats in Jordan's House of Representatives, garnering a half-million votes.
Observers warn it's a victory for the radical Islamic group. Many Jordanians have already been radicalized, as they chanted in the streets, "All Jordanians belong to Hamas," and "Death to Israel."
One Islamist praised his son's murder of three Israeli guards at the Allenby Bridge Crossing between Jordan and Israel on Sunday.
Thiab al-Jazi declared, "I’m honored and proud that I've raised a hero who carried out a martyrdom operation in defense of Islam and Arabism."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week visited his nation's longest border – nearly 200 miles shared with Jordan – making sure his forces are ready to handle any threats coming across it.
Netanyahu exhorted, "It is important for us to ensure that this border remains a border of peace – and security."
Some experts say Iran is pushing for the overthrow of Jordan's King Abdullah. If radical Islamists were to gain control of Jordan, it could pose one of the biggest and nearest dangers to Israel.
The prime minister cautioned the challenges along the border have grown.
He stated, "There is an attempt to smuggle both terrorists and weapons across from Jordan into Judea and Samaria and into the cities of Israel."
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