The death toll from the fierce aerial bombardment of Lebanon by Israel continues to climb well into the hundreds, a quarter of the dead are women and children. The week of bombing has brought fear, chaos and carnage to the citizens of Lebanon.
For its part Israel says it is conducting a targeted operation against Hizbullah fighters, while the Lebanese-based Iran-back militia has responded with further, largely ineffective, missile strikes against northern Israeli communities and the city of Haifa.
The fear that this will escalate into a regional conflict embroiling Iran remains.
The conflict between Isreal and Hizbullah has a long and deadly history so why is this escalation happening now? And who is Hizbullah and what is its ultimate goal? Is there any hope that the fighting can be stopped by diplomacy? And if so, when?
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Sky News Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall explains the origins of this new phase in the conflict and why the region – and the world – fears escalation.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.
