Tensions between Israel and Iran are escalating amid an already volatile Middle East, raising fears of a broader and more dangerous conflict.

Israel is arming local militias in Gaza in an effort to counter Hamas in the besieged enclave, officials say, as opposition politicians warned that the move endangers national security.

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke recently of “double standards” in international politics. Germany’s Friedrich Merz questioned Israel’s military goals in Gaza.

"We wouldn't like to see some kind of nuclear race in the Middle East," Israeli diplomat Tsach Saar told Newsweek.

The airstrikes on the southern outskirts of the Lebanese capital, an area where Hezbollah holds sway, were some of the heaviest since a U.S.-brokered cease-fire came into effect in November.

The U.S. rejected a one-sided U.N. Security Council resolution backed by the U.K., France, Russia and China calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel signed defense contracts worth nearly $15 billion last year, surpassing its all-time record, the country’s defense ministry said Wednesday, even as international outrage mounts over the war in Gaza. Over half the deals were with European countries.