The relentless exchanges of fire between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah in recent days have stoked fears the longtime foes are moving inexorably toward all-out war, despite international appeals for restraint.
Officials and analysts in Jerusalem and Beirut told reporters what the opposing sides hope to achieve by ramping up their attacks and whether there is any way out.
Israeli officials insist they have been left with no choice but to respond to Hezbollah after its near-daily rocket fire emptied communities near the border with Lebanon for almost a year.
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