Bloodshed over the weekend highlighted the brittleness of the cease-fires in both places. Still, Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah each have reasons to postpone a new escalation, at least for a few weeks.

Israel has not toppled Hamas’ rule over Gaza -- at least not yet—but for Hamas to portray this as a victory is an act of staggering self-deception. The same in Lebanon. Lebanon's Hezbollah members hold party flags as they listen to their leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addressing his supporters via a screen during a rally marking the anniversary of the defeat of militants near the Lebanese-Syrian border,

Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend their ceasefire until Feb. 18 to give Israeli troops more time to withdraw, the Trump administration said Sunday, while a Gaza dispute with Hamas over a hostage was resolved.