Mohamad Elmasry, from the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, says it is unclear what comes next as Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon continue deadly cross-border attacks, Al Jazeera reports.

“I think right now there’s significant disagreement inside Israel’s military establishment to what extent they want to go into an all-out war. What we know is Benjamin Netanyahu would like to see something more expansive. That would be more advantageous to his own political ambitions,” Elmasry told Al Jazeera.

“Israel right now is going to continue and try and provoke Hezbollah, and the ball is really in Hezbollah’s court as to what they do next. It’s got to be a very difficult calculation. Hezbollah won’t look good, like it has much deterrence, if it doesn’t respond forcefully.”

Members of the military carry a coffin during the funeral of Hezbollah military commander Wissam Tawil on January 9, 2024. — Reuters
Members of the military carry a coffin during the funeral of Hezbollah military commander Wissam Tawil on January 9, 2024. — Reuters

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