John Haltiwanger & Rishi Iyengar
Foreign Policy / September 11, 2025 (Situation Report)
The Israeli military has now bombed several countries in addition to its assault on Gaza.
Throughout the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which has fuelled tensions across the Middle East, concerns have been raised about the potential for a regional conflict to break out. But in many ways, this is already the reality in the Middle East. And the list of countries Israel has bombed grew this week with a strike in Doha, Qatar, that marked a major escalation in Israel’s war against Hamas.
Since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has conducted military and clandestine operations in multiple countries across the Middle East in addition to Gaza, including Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Qatar. The Israeli military has also been extremely active in the occupied West Bank since Oct. 7, conducting ground and air operations amid a sharp rise in settler violence against Palestinians. The Israeli attacks around the region have ranged from assassinations—including a stunning operation involving exploding pagers in Lebanon—to broader military campaigns aimed at debilitating its adversaries’ capabilities.
Israel has effectively acknowledged that it’s waging war across the region. “In recent days, we have struck in several arenas simultaneously,” Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said on Wednesday. “Our message is clear: The long arm of the IDF will reach every arena and sever the hands of all our enemies in the Middle East.”
Though Israel’s operations have killed many top leaders of its biggest enemies and left their forces greatly diminished, its actions have also been condemned by many around the world. But the Israeli government continues to operate in a way that suggests it’s not especially concerned with global opinion. The country’s conduct also suggests that Israel believes that the United States will continue to support it no matter what, even when it behaves in a way that undermines Washington’s foreign-policy goals.
“Right now, we may be subject to a little bit of criticism. They’ll get over it. And Israel is being changed for the better,” Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, told Fox News on Tuesday.
Here’s a quick rundown of the places beyond Gaza and the West Bank that Israel has bombed or fought in since Oct. 7.
Iran. Israel and Iran have exchanged fire multiple times since Oct. 7, but the most intense fighting occurred over the course of 12 days in June. That month, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, targeting key nuclear and military sites across Iran. In the process, Israel killed a number of top military leaders and nuclear scientists. A cease-fire brokered by the United States (which also got involved and bombed Iran) has since held, but tensions remain high.
Lebanon. Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah began routinely exchanging fire almost immediately after Oct. 7. Then, roughly a year ago, Israel launched a ground invasion of Lebanon. A cease-fire was eventually reached in November 2024, but Israel has still not withdrawn its forces from southern Lebanon and has continued to strike targets within the country—including as recently as this week.
Yemen. Not long after Oct. 7, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen began firing missiles and drones at Israeli targets—and targeting Israeli-linked shipping vessels in the Red Sea. The Houthis said their actions were in support of Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has responded with strikes in Yemen, including this week. In August, an Israeli strike killed the prime minister of the Houthi-led government in Yemen, Ahmed al-Rahawi.
Syria. Following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime last year, the Israeli military conducted strikes in Syria to destroy the government’s remaining military assets. The Israeli military also sent troops into parts of Syria and has continued to conduct airstrikes in the country. In July, Israel bombed Syrian forces as they moved to intervene in sectarian clashes in the southern Syrian city of Suweyda. The Israeli government said it was protecting the Druze, a religious minority that also has a significant population in Israel.
Qatar. Israel conducted a strike in Doha on Tuesday. The operation targeted Hamas leaders as they gathered to discuss a Gaza cease-fire proposal. Hamas said its leaders survived the attack but that five lower-ranking members, including the son of Khalil al-Hayya, the group’s lead negotiator, and a Qatari official were killed. The Israeli strike—its first known in Qatar—was fiercely condemned by Doha and other Arab capitals. The Trump administration was also critical, stating that the attack “does not advance Israel or America’s goals.”
John Haltiwanger, a staff writer at Foreign Policy; Rishi Iyengar, a staff writer at Foreign Policy
