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Open Questions | Middle East ‘the best place’ for China and US to cooperate, observer says
Academic Pan Guang gives his view on Beijing’s role in conflict mediation, its engagement with the Global South, and belt and road security
Reading Time:10 minutes
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Professor Pan Guang has spent decades focused on Jewish studies, the Middle East and ties with China. Among his many roles, Pan is founding director of a research centre on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here.
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What’s your assessment of the situation in the Middle East and the Israel-Gaza war after the assassinations of top Hamas and Hezbollah officials?
Many now say that the conflicts in the Middle East will expand. I think there will definitely be some escalation, but it is unlikely to reach the scale of the Lebanon wars in 1982 or 2006 with Israeli troops surging into the country.
Hezbollah will definitely retaliate and continue to launch missiles and rockets at Israel. Hamas will definitely take some action too, but Hamas really does not have the strength to fight any more. Although its leader has been killed, it is unable to make any major moves.
Israel, Hezbollah trade heavy fire
Under the current circumstances, Israel may also not want to fight on two fronts – attacking Gaza and Lebanon at the same time. This is very difficult, but it is also prepared [for any attack].
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The US presidential election will start soon, and both candidates have told [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu that they want the war to be stopped as soon as possible.
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