As Israel continues its war on Hamas, and as the number of civilian casualties in Gaza rises, neighboring countries are on edge. From Israel’s north, in Lebanon, the militant Islamist group Hezbollah has already launched a small number of rocket attacks, with “all options” on the table, according to a speech by the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, on Friday. To the east, there’s Iran, which backs Hezbollah and also Hamas, and has been making ominous public statements against Israel. South of Israel, beyond Saudi Arabia, there’s Yemen: Evidence indicates that Houthi rebels there may have been responsible for an intercepted missile attack headed toward Israel. And meanwhile, to Israel’s southwest, there’s Egypt, which is worried about a potential influx of Palestinian refugees.
Will a broader regional war break out? FP’s Ravi Agrawal spoke with two experts on the Middle East: Steven Cook, a columnist at FP, and Kim Ghattas, a Beirut-based journalist.
Kim Ghattas, a veteran journalist based in Beirut, explains her take on whether Hezbollah and Lebanon will get involved in the conflict.
How to understand Hassan Nasrallah’s speech about Hezbollah’s involvement in the conflict.
FP columnist and senior Middle East fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations Steven Cook explains Qatar’s role in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Cook on the difficulties of Middle East countries normalizing relations with Israel and whether the war will impact diplomatic ties.
Steven A. Cook
Senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies, Council on Foreign Relations
Steven A. Cook is a columnist at Foreign Policy and the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. His latest book is False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the New Middle East.
Kim Ghattas
Author, Black Wave
Host
Ravi Agrawal
Editor in chief, Foreign Policy
Ravi Agrawal is the editor in chief of Foreign Policy, the host of FP Live, and a regular world affairs analyst on TV and radio. Before joining FP in 2018, Agrawal worked at CNN for more than a decade in full-time roles spanning three continents, including as the network’s New Delhi bureau chief and correspondent. He is the author of India Connected: How the Smartphone Is Transforming the World’s Largest Democracy.
