PARALYSED between governments, Israel was yesterday facing up to a new upsurge in violence from both Lebanese and Palestinian gunmen. Five Israeli soldiers were killed by Hizbullah gunmen in southern Lebanon, while Palestinian gunmen shot dead a young married couple inside the borders of sovereign Israel the first such attack in years.
The Israeli government carried out retaliatory raids into south Lebanon, killing at least one civilian, and prompting Hizbullah threats of a further escalation in violence. And the Prime Minister, Mr Shimon Peres, indicated that an intensified Israeli assault on Hizbullah might yet be forthcoming, issuing a statement warning of more Israeli firepower "when the time is appropriate".
In truth, however, the renewed violence has hit Israel at a highly awkward period. Mr Peres is a lame duck prime minister, having been defeated in general elections on May 29th by the Likud party leader, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr Netanyahu has been unable to take office as yet, because he is still trying to build a coalition with various small religious and centrist parties. He hopes to have secured the necessary coalition agreements by next Sunday, when the Knesset is to reconvene after the election break. Until then, no dramatic action is anticipated.
The pro-Iranian Hizbullah leadership in Lebanon is well aware, of course, that Mr Peres is hardly likely to complete his term in office with another massive onslaught in south Lebanon, having failed to silence Hizbullah's guns during April's singularly unsuccessful "Operation Grapes of Wrath" bombardment.
Although Mr Netanyahu has promised to take a tough line against Hizbullah and other anti-Israeli forces, it is difficult to imagine how much tougher than Mr Peres he could be, short of ordering a full scale invasion. Yet further Hizbullah attacks seem likely, particularly given the incoming prime minister's pledge not to give up the Golan Heights for a peace deal with Syria. The hope of a deal on the Golan was one of the factors that led Syria to try to curb Hizbullah activities in recent months. If no such hope now exists, there is little incentive for Syria, which maintains a force of some 30,000 troops in Lebanon, to intervene.
Equally worrying for Mr Netanyahu was the drive by shooting late on Sunday night of Efrat and Yaron Unger, a couple in their mid 20s who lived on a West Bank settlement but who were driving inside Israel when they were killed. The couple had their 10 month old baby with them in the car he survived. They also had a two year old boy, and Efrat was pregnant. Thousands attended their funerals yesterday.
Mr Netanyahu's fear is that Palestinian extremists may now be taking their opposition to Israel to a new, and still more dangerous, level.