Israel intensified the conflict in the Middle East to new levels today, killing more than 180 people in Lebanon in the latest attacks since military officials declared a ‘new phase’ of war against Hezbollah had begun last week.
On Tuesday, Mossad is thought to have orchestrated one of the most psychologically damaging clandestine attacks in recent memory, injuring thousands of Hezbollah members with exploding pagers and radios across two days.
Then on Friday, the IDF delivered a punishing strike that eliminated a top Hezbollah commander along with some 37 other militiamen and civilians, before continuing aerial bombardments over the weekend and into this morning.
Lebanon’s health ministry this afternoon declared 274 people have been killed and at least 1,024 injured so far today alone, prompting officials to accuse Jerusalem of carrying out an ‘extermination’.
But Israel’s hawkish defence minister Yoav Gallant and IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari say they ‘will do whatever is needed’ to cripple Hezbollah’s military capabilities and allow displaced residents from Israel’s northern territories to return home safely.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah has vowed to continue fighting until a ceasefire in Gaza is agreed upon, with deputy leader Naim Qassem declaring the group is now entering ‘an open-ended battle of reckoning’ with Israel.
These developments have led many analysts to caution that violence in the region is now approaching untenable levels, raising the prospect of an all-out war between Israel and its numerous foes.
Now, MailOnline examines how Israel may fare in a full-scale conflict with its key adversaries and speaks to experts to determine whether such a devastating regional war could materialise.