Amid the recent escalation with Hezbollah, Dr. Michael Milshtein, an expert on the Arab sector at the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University, addressed the possibility of whether Israel would strike Iraq in an interview with 103FM on Thursday.
He did not exclude the possibility that Israel would attack Iraq in response to the drones launched at Eilat from the country.
"In the end, we're talking about a sovereign state from which very serious attacks are being launched against Israel. According to various foreign sources, there have already been strikes in recent years on various targets connected to Iran in Iraq. So, it wouldn't be unprecedented."
Regarding a ceasefire with Hezbollah, he said, "We need to be cautious when it comes to the finer details," Milshtein said, adding, "When I read all the information and look at the Arab world, and especially Hezbollah and the way it interprets the reports regarding the possibility of a ceasefire, I raise key questions about where this is headed and what the strategy behind the story is."
"We don't have a strategy. I fully support continuing to strike Hezbollah, even with harder blows, and if necessary, start planning the ground maneuver. What has been happening here over the past two weeks in terms of Israeli discourse has gotten completely out of proportion."
"I don't buy the claim about a 50 percent reduction in their firepower. I would really caution anyone pointing to the collapse of the organization," he noted.
"Let's say we continue with heavy strikes, even if it means rockets reaching central Israel; what is my objective? In Gaza, we've been stuck for a year with continued promises that we are on the verge of victory. I don't think Sinwar has been any more stable in recent weeks," he added, referring to Israel's war in Gaza.
Addressing reports of Yahya Sinwar's death
Addressing the reports that Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar had been killed, Milshtein noted, "My professional working assumption is that as long as there is no clear certainty, like there was with Deif [whom the IDF confirmed it had killed in August], that he is dead, then Sinwar is alive."
"I don't see any signs I can rely on."
"Regarding [Mohammed] Deif, you could even find various hints in Hamas's discourse that allowed you to understand there was something going on. We will have to make a decision. For over six months, there's been talk about this T-junction, and it keeps widening."