Tensions are high in all corners of Israel. The country is bracing for war with Hezbollah after the assassination of a Hezbollah commander Imad Moughniyah. At the commander’s funeral in Lebanon Nasrallah declared open war on Israel. An explosion in Gaza today which killed six, including a woman and child, is being blamed on an Israeli air strike, which could mean retaliatory rocket strikes into Israel from the Gaza Strip. Today John Holmes, UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs declared that the Gaza strip is in dire condition leading some to believe that the boarder should be reopened in order to allow necessary supplies to move in and out of the Gaza Strip freely. As all of this is taking place Israelis are building new settlements in the West Bank, which are stirring up resentments within the occupied territories.

Israel is essentially undermining potential peace talks on all sides. Simultaneously Israelis are provoking the Lebanese in the North, isolating the Palestinians into the stone ages in Gaza and blatantly expanding settlements in the West Bank.

Authorities in the U.S. believe these developments, particularly the declaration of open war by Imad Moughniyah could have direct consequences in the United States considering American’s direct involvement and therefore have stepped up security in and around “potential Jewish targets in the United States.”

The AP reports this scene from the sight of the recent development of settlement expansion in the West Bank:

A sign in English and Hebrew on one of the trailer homes read: “This caravan was built in part through a grant from One Israel Fund.” The organization’s Web site says it is a New York-based charitable group that helps Israelis who were evacuated from Gaza.

This scene clearly implies the direct involvement of the U.S. in continuation of building new settlements in the West Bank. This is seen in the West Bank as a stamp of approval from the United States.

All of these developments will likely bring any peace talks to a grinding halt.

Some experts believe that another war between Hezbollah and Israel would have consequences that reverberate throughout the region. An Israeli defeat would further embolden Hezbollah and their backers, Iran, in their resistance against the U.S. and Israel. While an Israeli victory would deepen resentments in the region and possibly lead to further acts of desperation on the part of Palestinians, Hezbollah and every nation that is sympathetic to the fight against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, isolation of Gaza and aggression toward Lebanon.