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Explainer | Could the Israel-Gaza war become multi-front involving Iran and Hezbollah?
- The conflict could spread to the West Bank and Israel’s border with Lebanon where Hezbollah operates, analysts say
- Diplomatic efforts to stop the conflict are unlikely to succeed for now with Israel and Hamas bent on escalation
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Decisions that will be taken in the coming days by Israel and the Iran-led ‘Resistance Front’ will determine if the unprecedented attack launched by Palestinian Hamas will escalate into a destabilising broader conflict in the Middle East.
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Despite intense diplomatic consultations between all of the region’s powers, there is scant hope among seasoned Middle East observers that Israel’s furious reaction will be limited to air strikes on the densely-populated Gaza Strip ruled by Hamas.
With more than 100,000 Israeli troops already massed near Gaza and 300,000 reservists called up, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks set to order an invasion of the area aimed at eliminating Hamas. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has ordered a “complete siege” of the territory.
The ensuing bloodbath seems certain to inflame the West Bank, and could prompt Hamas’ Lebanon-based ally Hezbollah to open a third war front on Israel’s northern border.
The direct participation of two Resistance Front members, Hamas and Hezbollah, would invariably lead Israel and its key ally the US to consider direct military action against Iran.
Depending on how these dominoes fall, the Israel-Gaza war could once again plunge the broader Middle East into a cycle of conflict on a scale not seen since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
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Here are three things you need to know about the Israel-Gaza war and its implications.
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Protesters on both sides of Israel-Hamas conflict flood streets around the world
Protesters on both sides of Israel-Hamas conflict flood streets around the world
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