Tuesday, October 24, 10:00 AM EDT

Sponsored by the Middle East Institute

Two weeks into the war between Israel and Hamas, simultaneous cross-border clashes with Hezbollah in the disputed Shebaa Farms in the Golan Heights have sparked fears of an emerging second front on the southern border of Lebanon. With rising tensions between the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group and the state of Israel, what are the prospects that Hezbollah will formally enter the war?

To discuss this question and more, the Middle East Institute will host a distinguished panel of experts, who will delve into the complex dynamics of the rules of engagement that have defined the Hezbollah-Israel relationship since 2006 along with the factors shaping a potentially expanded regional conflict.

Additionally, the discussion will address the various dimensions of the Hezbollah-Israel dynamic, including the influence of red lines, energy resources, and the presence of Palestinian armed groups within Iran’s sphere of influence, as well as the broader geopolitical consequences of a potential conflict. 

Speakers

Mohanad Hage Ali
Deputy Director For Research, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

Hanin Ghaddar
Friedmann Senior Fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy 

Firas Maksad
Senior Fellow; Director of Strategic Outreach, Middle East Institute

Jessica Obeid
Non-Resident Scholar, Middle East Institute 

Fadi Nicholas Nassar, moderator
U.S.-Lebanon Fellow, Middle East Institute

To register: Red Lines and Shifting Rules of Engagement: The Prospects of a Hezbollah-Israel War | Middle East Institute (mei.edu)