Israeli army says ready for escalation with Gaza

 The Israeli army said Sunday it has deployed air defense batteries to deal with any possible escalation at different fronts, including an offensive against the Gaza Strip.

Military spokesman Ran Kochav told Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper that the army is working in all Palestinian areas and helping the Israeli police inside Israel to curb attacks.

"We are looking at Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and even Sinai," Kochav said. "We are operating far and wide and have deployed our air defense systems," he added.

Kochav said the situation with Gaza has been quiet since the Israeli army's last military operation in May 2021.

The army, he said, is too prepared for "Guardian of the Walls 2 or any action that may be necessary" in Gaza.

In recent days, Israel saw a number of attacks, in which at least 11 Israelis were killed.

The Israeli army, for its part, intensified its raids across the occupied West Bank during which a number of Palestinians were killed.

The situation is also likely to escalate in occupied East Jerusalem with extremist Jewish groups calling for storming the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which coincides with Jewish holidays.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. In 1980 it annexed the entire city, in a move never recognized by the international community.