Both Israel and Hezbollah feel that another round of violence is inevitable, though for the moment neither side wants to initiate a fight, the consequences of which would be devastating for all sides.

JERUSALEM -- Three senior Israeli military commanders have threatened to decimate Lebanons infrastructure with disproportionate firepower, wipe out villages in the south from where they believe attacks on Israel originate and to treat both the Lebanese government and the entire country as the enemy not just Hezbollah, in the next war.

AMMAN -- The stark difference between a scene of jubilation in Lebanon and grief in Israel as prisoners and remains were exchanged with Hezbollah on Wednesday underlined what both sides generally view as a triumph for the Lebanese guerrilla group and a defeat for Israel in their ongoing conflict.

AMMAN -- Speculation is growing that Syria is ready to distance itself from Iran and come to the Western fold if the United States and its allies ultimately reward Damascus with political, financial and military support.

The international community had shunned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad completely since 2005 when he was forced to "officially" remove his troops from occupied Lebanon. But he is not a pariah anymore. He has now become a hot ticket courted from Jerusalem to Ankara and Paris, to name a few. How did Assad realize this tour de force?

Hezbollahs recent flexing of muscles in Lebanon may well lead to an unintended effect – the long-overdue disarming of the militant group.