Israel-Gaza war: Is a regional conflict immanent?Two days after the Hamas attacks of October 7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel’s military operations in Gaza will “change the Middle East” and that “Israel is mobilizing for war, precisely as the United States mobilized after 9/11.” Regional tensions have been on the rise over the past three weeks. The U.S. deployed two aircraft carriers to the eastern Mediterranean off the coast of Israel. Many observers interpreted this move as a blunt message to Hezbollah and Iran. If Israel’s ground invasion in Gaza continues and intensifies, Hezbollah is likely to respond by opening a second front on Israel’s northern border. In such a scenario, the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, which has been taking place for several weeks now, could easily spiral out of control. Much of northern Israel could come under intense fire. For Lebanon, a new war with its southern neighbor could have devastating economic and political consequences. But if we take Netanyahu at his word, the stakes are much higher. What we are currently witnessing may well go far beyond Gaza. Israel's military assault and ethnic cleansing may well be the first stage of a regional campaign aimed at Iran and its allies.