Israel wants no war with Hezbollah, but there could be escalation for several days
Israel wants no war with Hezbollah
Israel says it does not want a war with Hezbollah. However, the degree of escalation will be determined by Hezbollah's reaction to the strikes that were launched in response to the shelling of the Golan Heights stadium, reports The Times of Israel.
“We will have to wait and see,” said the anonymous Israeli official.
The official spoke to the newspaper shortly after the security cabinet met to determine Israel's course of action in the wake of Saturday's rocket attack on the Golan.
Meanwhile, Western diplomats report that significant efforts are being made to prevent an Israeli response that would lead to a full-scale war in Lebanon.
A security official said that while there could be a few days of significant escalation, Israel is not interested in a war against Hezbollah at this time.
Officials also believe that Israel's response in the north will affect hostage negotiations, but they are unsure of the direction - whether it will push Hezbollah and Iran to push Hamas to a deal or vice versa.
Yesterday afternoon Israel reported that Hezbollah had struck in the Majdal Shams area. This attack was immediately called the deadliest. It should be noted that the strike killed 11 people on a sports field and injured more than 30 others.
The US expressed concern that the strike on the Golan could lead to a war between Israel and Hezbollah.
