Risk of Escalation in Middle East Grows but Is Not Foregone Conclusion

Description

“All sides over the last 10 months had reason to full-out escalate, and they didn’t, which suggests the calculus hasn’t changed and isn’t changing,” said Andreas Krieg, a Middle East security expert at King’s College London. “Deterrence on both sides somehow works.”

In fact, Mr. Hiltermann and Mr. Krieg said, the assassination could provide a way out of the war altogether by allowing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to claim a signal victory, giving him space to back down in Gaza and perhaps agree to a cease-fire.

Period	31 Jul 2024
Held at	The New York Times, United States