This article was originally published by Michael Snyder at The End of the American Dream. 

It is beginning to happen.  We have been told that a worst-case scenario for the war in the Middle East would be for Iranian proxies to join the war followed by Iran itself.  That sort of escalation could lead to an apocalyptic conflict that spirals completely out of control, and so great efforts have been made to try to keep the rest of the “Axis of Resistance” on the sidelines.  Unfortunately, those efforts appear to have failed, and that is really bad news.

On Tuesday, it was reported that the IDF and Hamas were engaged in “fierce battles” deep inside Gaza…

Israel today said it has killed ‘dozens’ of Hamas terrorists during ‘fierce’ fighting ‘deep’ inside Gaza with video showing soldiers scouring the streets for the gunmen amid raging battles.

Israeli troops attacked Hamas positions within the terrorists’ vast tunnel network in a bid to free hostages trapped there – a key objective for Israel as it expands ground operations inside Gaza to wipe out Hamas following its gun rampage three weeks ago that killed over 1,400 people.

In the fifth day of major ground operations inside northern Gaza, the army said it had engaged in ‘fierce battles’ with Hamas terrorists, with footage showing columns of tanks and soldiers advancing further into the besieged enclave.

IDF forces have reached “the outskirts of Gaza City” and are steadily surrounding it on all sides.

But Israel is not in a rush.

The Israelis are going to take things one step at a time because they want to minimize civilian casualties as well as their own losses…

The gradual progress of the present campaign is intended to avoid pitched fighting in built-up areas, while troops are wary of approaching the vast network of secret subterranean tunnels in which Hamas hides. The go-slow tactics may succeed in limiting Israeli military losses and potentially civilian deaths, yet risk prolonging a war.

I think that a methodical approach makes a lot of sense.

Hamas has spent many years preparing their tunnels, so it is wise to use caution.

As fighting rages in Gaza, Iran is warning that their proxies “won’t stay silent”…

Iran today boasted its powerful proxies ‘won’t stay silent’ and hinted the fighting between Israel and Hamas could engulf the Middle East after the Tehran-backed Huthi rebels fired drones into the Jewish state from Yemen.

The Huthis, who seized Yemen’s capital Sanaa in 2014 and control large swathes of the country, said they fired a series of drones towards the Red Sea city of Eilat this morning in retaliation to Israel’s war against Hamas.

Personally, I don’t think that the Houthis represent too much of a threat.

First of all, they have their own war to worry about.

Secondly, any rockets that they can fire toward Israel shouldn’t be too much of a threat.

Thirdly, they simply aren’t capable of transporting large numbers of troops to areas where they could engage Israel.

But even though they will not be a major player in this war, the Houthis have apparently decided to officially join it anyway…

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have entered the war with Israel after it launched drones and missiles at the south of the country earlier today.

The Houthis are part of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” and have rallied behind Hamas since the October 7 attacks. They have been at war with Yemen’s internationally recognised government since 2014 and control the capital city of Sana’a.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group launched a “large number” of missiles and drones toward Israel and that it would continue to attack “to help the Palestinians to victory”.

Meanwhile, Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria continue to attack U.S. troops.

In fact, it is being reported that U.S. forces have now come under fire for the 25th time since October 7th…

U.S. forces deployed to the Middle East have been targeted for the 25th time since the Hamas attack on Israel October 7, amid fears of a widening conflict.

The attack came as two armed drones targeted the Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq, which U.S. and international forces use in western Iraq to go after remnants of ISIS.

The American people might not realize it yet, but we are already at war in the Middle East.

Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria are constantly targeting our troops, and they aren’t going to stop.

Of course, when it comes to Iranian proxies, Hezbollah in Lebanon is the big dog, and everyone is watching to see what they will do…

Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, has found itself in an awkward position since its ally Hamas launched a deadly, surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7. Now, after years of spoiling for a fight with Israel, Hezbollah is torn between maintaining its credibility as a defender of the Palestinians, and its hesitation to get involved in a full-scale war.

I’ll tell you the number one reason why Hezbollah is hesitating.

They don’t want to get nuked.

If Hezbollah started firing thousands of missiles at Israel and attempted to launch a full-blown invasion from the north, there is a very good chance that the Israelis would use nuclear weapons.

But at some point, the pressure to join the conflict will likely become just too great, and that will especially be true once it becomes clear that Hamas is on the verge of being wiped out…

A Lebanese official who speaks with Hezbollah said the militants have said their red line for intervention is the destruction of Hamas, and that they will enter the war if the group is on its last legs. But Israel’s stated goal is the destruction of Hamas.

Hezbollah is not going to just sit there and watch the IDF achieve total victory over Hamas.

That just isn’t going to happen.

Of course, Hezbollah has already been engaging the IDF on a regular basis along Israel’s northern border.  In fact, Hezbollah is claiming that they just destroyed an Israeli tank…

Hezbollah has announced an Attack today on Israeli Forces along the Border with Southern Lebanon, which is claimed to have resulted in the Targeting and Destruction of a Merkava Mark lll or lV Main Battle Tank.

We are so close to a major regional war.

The worse that things get for Hamas, the more enraged the Iranians and their proxies will become.

By the time this thing is over, I believe that the entire world will be completely and utterly shocked by what happens.

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to the new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have also started a brand new Substack newsletter, and I encourage you to subscribe so that you won’t miss any of the latest updates.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream, and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial, or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and anyway that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.