
Amid Gaza war and Iran tensions, US Envoys to tour Israel's northern front
Amid rising conflict and the drumbeats of war on multiple fronts, U.S. envoy Thomas Barak and his deputy, Morgan Ortagus, are expected to arrive in Israel early next week, with northern border issues at the center of their visit.
According to the itinerary, the two diplomats are scheduled to tour areas along the borders with Syria and Lebanon.
On Wednesday, they are also expected to attend the meeting of the ceasefire monitoring committee with Lebanon in Naqoura, where Israeli officials are expected to reaffirm, according to military sources, the ongoing presence and operations of the Israeli army inside Lebanon for an indefinite period.
Meanwhile, eyes are fixed on Washington as observers await a potential announcement from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding a ceasefire in Gaza.
In Israel, reports have emerged of closed-door discussions about a potential strike on Iran. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, currently in Washington, reportedly informed the U.S. administration that the emerging agreement does not meet Israel's security needs, asserting Israel's right to defend itself.
Sources say the confidential discussions focused on the readiness of Israel's home front and a possible Iranian retaliation involving thousands of rockets launched without warning.
Such a scenario could lead to a major military escalation, with rockets carrying warheads weighing up to 700 kilograms each.
The leak of these deliberations by security critics highlights growing internal concerns. Analysts warn that such military actions could further destabilize the country, especially after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that fighting in Gaza would continue until a new deal is finalized—a move some security officials say could endanger hostages and derail ongoing negotiations.
The leaked details dominated the Israeli political and security agenda, raising alarms not only over the potential physical toll of a wider conflict but also over its financial implications. Economic and security experts are warning that the combined costs of military operations across Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen could push Israel toward economic collapse.
According to official data, the war in Gaza alone is costing Israel approximately $1.2 million per day. Intercepting each ballistic missile from Yemen with a single Arrow missile reportedly costs $3.5 million.
Critics who describe the war as politically driven say that the total cost of the military campaign throughout 2024 has reached $40 billion.
Experts caution that a strike on Iran, coupled with existing war expenses, could cause long-term damage to Israel's economy—damage from which recovery would take years.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


LBCI
2 hours ago
- LBCI
Syria, Israel agree to further talks on de-escalating conflict: Ekhbariya TV
Syrian and Israeli officials agreed to meet again after no final accord was reached in U.S.-mediated talks in Paris on de-escalating the conflict in southern Syria, state-run Ekhbariya TV reported on Saturday, citing a diplomatic source. The source described the dialogue as "honest and responsible," in the first confirmation from the Syrian side that talks had taken place. On Friday, U.S. envoy Tom Barrack said officials from both countries spoke about de-escalating the situation in Syria during the talks on Thursday. Representatives from the Syrian foreign ministry and intelligence officials were in attendance, Syria's Ekhbariya reported. Reuters


LBCI
2 hours ago
- LBCI
Israeli strike on South Lebanon's Debaal kills two
An Israeli airstrike on the town of Debaal in South Lebanon has killed two individuals.


LBCI
4 hours ago
- LBCI
Pope Leo meets Russian Orthodox Church official in Vatican
Pope Leo met on Saturday with Metropolitan Anthony, a senior cleric in the Russian Orthodox Church, in a possible effort to ease ties between the churches strained by the invasion of Ukraine. The pontiff saw Anthony, chairman of the department of external church relations, and five other high-profile clerics during an audience in the morning, the Vatican said in a statement without further elaborating. Since assuming the papacy in May, Leo has repeatedly appealed for peace in global conflicts and this month told visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that the Vatican was willing to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks. Russian officials, however, have said they do not view the Vatican as a serious venue for talks because it is surrounded by NATO member Italy which has supported Ukraine. In his first call with President Vladimir Putin, at the beginning of June, Pope Leo urged Russia to take steps towards ending the conflict. The head of Russia's Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has been an enthusiastic backer of the invasion of Ukraine. Reuters