by Xinhua Writer Wang Zhuolun, Pang Xinyi
JERUSALEM, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Over a month into U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, Israel is once again fighting on multiple fronts, from Iran in the east, to Hezbollah in the north, to Yemen's Houthi forces in the south, while continuing operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
Despite Israel's assertions that it will press on with the war mission, analysts say the economic toll and the social divisions caused by the conflicts are placing a growing strain on its operations across multiple fronts, complicating its ability to sustain the war.
MULTI-FRONT WARFARE
On Oct.7, 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the country to be in a "state of war." In the following years, according to the Israeli military, the country has faced threats on "seven fronts" -- from Palestinian factions in Gaza and the West Bank, armed groups in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, Houthi forces in Yemen, and its arch foe Iran.
Although Israel has reached so-called ceasefire agreements with Hamas and Lebanon, its military operations with the relevant parties have not fully ceased.
On Feb. 28, the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, which responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. military bases in the region. Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel on March 2, prompting Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon and ground operations in the south.
As tensions escalated, Iran stepped up coordination with its regional allies. On March 12, Iran and Hezbollah carried out their first joint strike on Israel, followed by two rounds of missile attacks by Yemen's Houthi forces on March 28, which Israel viewed as their formal entry into the confrontation.
To cope with the expanding war, the Israeli government has reportedly approved raising the ceiling for reservist mobilization to 400,000. While this figure represents a maximum quota rather than actual deployment, it signals the country's planning and preparation for a prolonged, multi-front conflict.
Despite the government's continued war posture, there are differing voices within Israel. Israeli media reported that the army's Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has told the security cabinet that the military was "on the verge of collapse."
Yair Lapid, Israel's main opposition leader, also warned that the army is "stretched to the limit and beyond," and the war with Iran and Hezbollah is taking too high a toll, accusing the government of steering the country towards a "security disaster."
HIGH ECONOMIC COST
To counter the heavy barrage of missiles and drones from fronts such as Iran and Lebanon, Israel has been relying on various air defense systems for intensive interceptions to minimize casualties.
The Wall Street Journal reported that ahead of the conflict, Israel upgraded its David's Sling system to relieve pressure on the more limited Arrow-3 interceptors.
The Arrow 3 is a key component of Israel's multi-layered missile defense system, which also includes the Iron Dome for short-range rockets, David's Sling for medium- to long-range missiles, and the Arrow family for long-range ballistic missile interception, with Arrow 3 handling exo-atmospheric threats.
According to the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies, a British think tank, Israel has already used around 80 percent of its Arrow interceptor stockpile.
High-intensity interception comes at a steep and potentially unsustainable cost. According to public data, each David's Sling interceptor is estimated to cost between 700,000 and 1 million U.S. dollars.
Israeli analysts, including Harel Chorev, a Middle Eastern affairs expert at Tel Aviv University, stressed that data such as interceptor stockpiles are highly sensitive and difficult to verify, making claims of imminent depletion uncertain. However, the impact of the war on Israel's economy is clear.
Israel's central bank on Sunday downgraded its economic growth forecast for the year, noting a significant slowdown in economic activity due to military operations. If the war ends by late April, Israel's economy is expected to grow by 3.8 percent in 2026, down from a previous estimate of 5.2 percent in January.
While noting that Israel's economic fundamentals remain resilient in the short term, Chorev also agrees that the country is under dual military and economic pressure from its multi-front operations.
SOCIAL DIVISION
Following the election in late 2022, Netanyahu formed a government with the support of far-right parties, widely seen as the most right-wing administration in Israel's history.
Experts believe continued military operations could help Netanyahu consolidate support within the right-wing camp and strengthen his position ahead of the election.
Israeli political analyst Orly Noy wrote that the ongoing conflict keeps the "security-first" narrative dominant, helping bridge internal differences within Netanyahu's coalition and enhancing its mobilization capacity.
However, the political gains hardly mask the deepening social rifts in Israel caused by the war. Anti-war voices are growing, with many people in Tel Aviv and other cities taking to the streets to protest and express their dissatisfaction with the prolonged conflict.
Frequent air raid sirens and explosions, disruptions to work and schooling, and the closure of airspace have severely affected the daily lives of nearly all Israelis.
Some support for the war was fueled by expectations of a swift victory, but unclear strategic goals could weaken that support, said Eyal Zisser, vice rector of Tel Aviv University, noting that a prolonged conflict would gradually erode public backing. ■
