Politics

Despite performative restraint in the Middle East, the broadening of war feels inevitable

For months, the refrain has been the same. Even as they backed Israel to the hilt, US officials repeatedly stressed that they didn’t want to see a wider war explode across the Jewish state’s northern border with Lebanon.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressing a joint meeting of Congress at the US Capitol in July. Photo: Getty Images For months, the refrain has been the same. Even as they backed Israel to the hilt, US officials repeatedly stressed that they didn’t want to see a wider war explode across the Jewish state’s northern border with Lebanon.

Leaders of the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah – a long-time Israeli antagonist – and their supporters in Iran, signalled that they, too, had little desire for a full-blown conflict. In Israel, top political and security officials in a country already in the throes of a sweeping, bloody campaign against Hamas in Gaza bickered over what to do about the threat posed by Hezbollah – recognising, perhaps, that the Middle East’s most powerful military may be too stretched by another massive war. Join the Irish Independent WhatsApp channel Stay up to date with all the latest news.