The Gaza war has drawn in Iran-backed militants across the region. While linked to Gaza, the conflict has its own dynamics. Israeli airstrikes have pounded areas where Hezbollah operates in southern Lebanon and struck the Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border. Any move by Israel to expand the conflict would be met by “devastation, destruction and displacement” in Israel, Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said in an interview with Al Jazeera in June. A ceasefire there could help bring about a rapid de-escalation of tensions in southern Lebanon.
