It became clear from the beginning that the ongoing war in Gaza represents a major turning point and is not just a round of military confrontation. It is a shift in many of the balance of power and influence in the region, regardless of the moral or legitimate positions on which this war is based. In its occupation, Israel has committed many crimes, but it also insists on dealing openly with Iran and Hezbollah rather than through proxies, which has been the case for years.

The conflict between Israel and Iran has gone beyond the war in Gaza to confrontations, penetrations, assassinations, and threats. Iran has remained a direct and visible party, with funding, perhaps planning and training, and some propaganda announcements from the Revolutionary Guard. However, Israel has responded with guided aircraft, missiles, and qualitative assassinations, including some Hezbollah leaders, Fouad Shukr, Hezbollah's Chief of Staff, and Ali Nazih Abdul Ali, the leader of the Southern Front.

About 400 Hezbollah leaders and Iranian figures were assassinated by tracking mobile devices and cars in Lebanon. The assassinations were carried out in a way that revealed security and technical breaches using advanced technology. The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh took place at his residence in Tehran, a day after the assassination of Fouad Shukr, Hezbollah's Chief of Staff. All these operations seemed to be a show of force, a clear demonstration of superiority, and various intelligence breaches. Then came the September 17 operation in Lebanon, which included the explosion of thousands of "pagers" carried by Hezbollah leaders in southern Beirut, and in Syria, where hundreds of Hezbollah members were seriously injured, estimated at about 1,500 wounded and 5 or more killed. Among the dead was the son of Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar Mahdi, as well as injuries, some of which were serious, among the sons of Hezbollah officials.

What is a pager, and how do they work?

Pagers are wireless communications devices designed to receive short messages and are mainly used in emergency services and hospitals. These devices rely on radio frequencies such as "BOSAG" or "Flex" to send alerts in one direction. The first generations of pagers appeared before the emergence of mobile phones to communicate and summon doctors, surgeons, or workers in institutions who require communication so that the recipient can contact the workplace. Recently, it was clear that Hezbollah, after hacking mobile devices, resorted to using pagers that were detonated remotely.

Most interpretations believe that the seller in Taiwan did the booby-trapping. In other words, Mossad hacked the seller and achieved a massive attack, with the exclusion of the possibility that it was detonated with electrical charges. Consequently, there is a major shift in the war because confrontations may focus not on traditional buildings and systems but on cyber warfare.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists on opening multiple fronts for war and escalating the confrontation with Iran and Hezbollah.  Netanyahu is also looking for cover to continue the war and rejects efforts and attempts to stop it. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is trying to push the Egyptian-American-Qatari initiative. It is his tenth tour since last October.

All these developments suggest that the war in Gaza is creating a major and profound shift in the form and content of conflict in the Middle East, which has been the case for decades.  These developments also reflect the strength and capabilities of some camps and countries after the confrontation moved from the stage of threats and proxy wars to an open confrontation that has doubled the arms and information race in the region.

Photo: Exploding pagers in Lebanon killed five and wounded thousands (by Adobe).