On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the end of the “intense stage” in the war on Gaza, with a pull-out of troops from the devastated Palestinian enclave toward Israel’s border with Lebanon, where clashes with Hezbollah have been ongoing for eight months. The comments sparked fears that Lebanon could be next in Israel’s crosshairs, with a build up of troops in the border region coinciding with chilling remarks by Israeli politicians about plans for a military assault on the country, and shuttle diplomacy by US officials to try prevent an escalation in the Middle East …