Axios quoted American and Israeli sources as saying that the Lebanese Hezbollah may take the first step in the expected response from Iran and its allies, and attack Israel during the end of this week (Saturday and Sunday), according to current assessments.

The American website reported today, Saturday, that the United States is preparing for a decisive and "dramatic" week, as it sends a group of its senior officials to the Middle East to prevent the outbreak of a regional war and seek to conclude a prisoner exchange deal and a ceasefire in Gaza.

He pointed out that the United States and Israel do not yet have a clear vision of the expected response from Iran and Hezbollah to the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and Hezbollah military commander Fouad Shukr in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

But Axios quoted two American officials and an Israeli third as saying that the general assessment is that Hezbollah may attack first, perhaps by the end of this week.

Israel has put its forces and vital facilities on high alert in anticipation of expected attacks, while Tehran has stressed that its response will be "surprising" and "crushing."

According to an Axios report, the United States, Israel, Britain, France and several Arab countries are completing their preparations to defend Israel if diplomatic efforts fail.

The website indicated that the commander of the US Central Command, General Michael Kurilla, visited Israel the day before yesterday to coordinate defense plans, in his second visit in less than a week.

For their part, the leaders of Qatar, Egypt and the United States have called on the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel to resume indirect talks - to cease fire in Gaza and exchange prisoners - next Thursday in Doha or Cairo.

Axios said the results this week will determine whether the region "will sink into a deeper crisis and a wider, more permanent war, or whether the current trajectory will change."

Source: Axios + Al Jazeera