On the edge War remains possible despite sound reasons for avoiding it

If Israel and Hezbollah wanted an all-out war it would have happened a long time ago.

- Julian Borger

Each side would welcome the destruction of the other, but the time has not been right so far for either of them to plunge into a full-scale conflict.

The intense exchange of hostilities across the IsraelLebanese border last Sunday once more took the parties to brink of such a war, but once again they paused and pulled back.

Israel conducted sorties over seven hours and struck more than 40 sites with missiles, but killed only three people, according to the count as of Sunday evening.

According to its own version of events, Hezbollah launched 320 rockets and a large number of drones, but caused only a small handful of injuries. The only Israeli fatality was caused by debris from an interceptor missile. The Lebanese Shia militia claimed nonetheless to have achieved its aims, to avenge a commander killed by Israel last month. Its spokesperson stretched credulity by claiming its plans had not been affected in any way by the earlier Israeli airstrikes.