Israel's 11-month war with Gaza has a few different fronts. There's Gaza, of course. On the other side of the country, there's the West Bank. Israel launched a big operation there this week. And in the north, there's the fight with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

This Sunday morning volley of rockets, drones and interceptions aimed at military targets,

the largest between Hezbollah and Israel since the war in Gaza began.

And we hear again and again that if Israel v Hezbollah goes even one step further,

it very well could pull the region in.

Fears are growing of a wider conflict in the Middle East.

Hostilities raised concerns of a wider war in the Middle East.

By nightfall both sides pulled back in a show of de-escalation.

Tonight fears of a wider war in the Middle East appear to be subsiding for now.

Again and again fears of a wider war that doesn't happen.

Coming up on today explained,

what is holding this region back from the brink? You're listening to Today Explained. I'm Noel King, So many times in the past 10 months we've

woken up to headlines about a broader Middle East war looming. In the hours

after Israel and Hezbollah trade fire across their shared border.

Why do they keep stopping before it escalates further?

We called up Valley Nasser of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

I think neither Hezbollah nor Israel School of Advanced International Studies.

I think neither Hezbollah nor Israel, despite claiming otherwise, actually want a full

war.

Going into Lebanon at this time for Israeli military is a very tall order.

It's much more complicated, it's much bigger operation than what they've done in Gaza,

Hezbollah is much more capable and lethal than Hamas was when Israel

...