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On July 8th, 2024, The Mitvim Institute held a roundtable discussion via Zoom focusing on international involvement and its role in preventing escalation in the ongoing crisis between Israel and Hezbollah. The discussion included several experts and scholars from leading institutes and think tanks from around the world.
The discussion, conducted under the Chatham House Rule, was initiated while taking several basic assumptions into account:
1. An all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah would have devastating consequences for both sides, and would not be sufficient on its own to bring about a long-term settlement. Furthermore, such escalation would surely have implications both in the regional and international spheres, carrying a dangerous potential for triggering an all-out war in the Middle East.
2. All the parties directly involved (Israel, Hezbollah, Lebanon) are caught in a situation from which they are unable to extricate themselves on their own and will inevitably need international involvement to do so.
3. Prevention of escalation or war will inevitably have to come as part of a broader settlement process with significant implications in both the regional and international spheres.
Given these assumptions, the discussion aimed to examine the importance of international involvement in the ongoing crisis along the Israeli-Lebanese border and to map the various relevant actors, their characteristics and interests, and their levers on other actors.