The last two years have brought unprecedented changes to the political landscape of the Middle East. The Arab Spring sparked revolution and reform, in some countries, and bloody civil war in others. Now, the redrawing of battle lines, whether old or new, is becoming more and more common. The  Civil War in Syria is raging while the possibility of any peaceful ending has long been forgotten. President Bashar al-Assad does not yet seem to be weary of the the battle against his own people. Fouad Ajami, writing for the BBC summed up the situation in these chilling words.

“Pity the Syrian people. They had been given to believe that fighter jets in the arsenal of the state – those Russian-made MIGs they once viewed with pride – were there for the stand-off with Israel.”

The statement is glaringly all too true, and the tide seems to be suggesting change across more than one front. Turkey, once a friend in the region, has strongly suggested further aggressive action against Syria after Turkish civilians were killed in recent shelling near the border. Turkey wasted no time in showing that it has bark as well as bite, recently ordering a plane bound for Syria to land on suspicions over its cargo. And though it may not exactly be seen as a surprise, more of Syria’s neighbors are be dragged into the fight. Violence in Lebanon during the last few days is proving the worst fears of many who have long been concerned that the war in Syria could have far reaching effects, not the least of which being the destabilization of the entire region. True, what peace there has been has not been for very long, and history definitely stands as a witness to to the fact. -Still many were hopeful.

Hamas has always had a interesting “bob-and-weave” in its ongoing war against the Israeli state. Times of so-called peace are most often seen as times to regroup and gather strength against its foe. Recent military operations within Gaza by the Israeli military have claimed the life of a senior Salafi-jihadist militant. The precision of the operation suggests that the Israeli Air Force has its own help from within the strip. Still this is not particularly new. After all  everyone knows that Salafists and Hamas cannot exactly be called friends.

Salafist expose a strict adherence to the original tenants of Islam. As such they are seen by many as fundamentalists. Today in the Gaza Strip Salafism is mixing with jihad. The result is one that Hamas is none too happy about, especially as actions by Salafists in Gaza have already caused significant damage to the Palestinian plight. The most famous example being the kidnap and murder of pro-palestinian activist Vittorio Arrigoni in 2011. You will not find Hamas portraying the Salafists as its heroes at this juncture in time. And though the recent action by the Israeli Air Force against the Salafists may be seen as an aid to the Hamas government, the two sides have been locked in retaliatory combat in recent days. Headlines are now proclaiming the most recent of truces between the two sides. Of course this should never be confused with peace, but should be seen as one of those all too familiar brief lulls in the long conflict. Both sides feel the need to recuperate, and are afforded time by the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Across the border in Egypt, the new government, led by the Muslim Brotherhood is dealing with it’s own Salafist threat. The Egyptian military recently swept into the Sinai to in a move to eradicate jihadist strongholds but will it work? The Salafist problem is creeping up throughout the Muslim world from Iraq to Libya. What will the climate be if Salafism expands? Will there be new battle lines drawn? If so, where will they be?

As in Gaza, Syria is also preparing for a four day truce in light of the Holiday. As in the case of Israel and Hamas, all are prepared for the the short lull to once again give way to the demands of insuppressible violence. Of late jihadists groups have also been joining the war, hoping to one day reap the spoils of the rebellion against Bashar, with would-be fighters filtering in even from Jordan. Indeed, this is purely evidence of the multi-faceted face of this rebellion, though it may also be said to be a foreshadowing of many more battles to come. For the time being there is one common enemy– Bashar al-Assad and his regime. If he is finally ousted, what then? Present circumstances are already hinting at a future that will be still further divided.