Israel Says Low Chances of War with Hizbullah, Hamas in 2017
A senior Israeli military officer said Wednesday that the army believes Middle East's chaos has weakened the country's enemies, creating a low probability of war involving Israel in 2017.
The official said the army concluded that neither Hizbullah in Lebanon nor Hamas in the Gaza Strip are interested in sparking a new conflict.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity according to military protocol, was sharing an official year-end intelligence assessment.
He said Hizbullah is mired in the Syrian civil war while Hamas has lost much of its support from the outside. Still, the official cautioned that an unexpected "dynamic of escalation" could always risk sparking a new conflict.
Israel fought a month-long war with Hizbullah in 2006 and has since waged three wars with Hamas.
Source: Associated Press, Naharnet
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