Readers respond to Question of the Week:

Will there be a much larger Mideast war?

Escalation of war in the Mideast is quite likely

This escalation has nothing to do with the “hard line current government” of Israel. The initiative was Hezbollah’s, as was their decision to escalate. Israel tried to limit its responses, pulling its punches to prove once again that bullies can’t be appeased. Their appetite for aggression will only grow until they are knocked out. Israel is doing the minimum that any state could, and should, do to protect its citizens after its entire northern district had to be evacuated for months. Would that the U.S. should protect our citizens so that no one should dare attack them. Since it was Hezbollah that bombed our Beirut embassy and killed 300 of our Marines, we should have exterminated that gang half a century ago. Better late than never. Our army should now join with the IDF to finally achieve that goal, and all necessary aid should be given Israel for that purpose.

— Louis Richter, Reseda

War in the Middle East

When Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, and Mohammed Deif, Hamas military chief, planned and executed the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, they assumed that once Hamas started the war, all the Arab states would come to their aid and join in the destruction of Israel. However, when the Arab states viewed the Israeli reaction to the attack and the destruction wrought on Gaza by the Israeli army and air force, they remained passive and attempted to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the conflict. With the exception of Iran’s pressuring Hezbollah to eventually attack in the north, other Arab states have remained on the sidelines, not wishing to experience the same destruction, and will probably stay there.

— Gordon Osborne, Woodland Hills

There will probably be retaliation yet again

I believe your Sept. 24 QOTW has been answered by your same-day Sept. 24 front-page headline “Israeli airstrikes kill hundreds.” Those hundreds of Lebanese people killed now have surviving loved ones and many sympathizers filled with implacable hatred and thirst for revenge. Sooner or later, military exertions of power usually provoke retaliation.

— David M. Bouchier, Long Beach