Israel has a world-leading missile interception system but its bank of interceptors is finite.

For years, Israel contained its conflicts with Tehran, Hamas and Hezbollah. The broad assault on Iran highlights a shift in strategy.

For years, Israel contained its conflicts with Tehran, Hamas and Hezbollah. The broad assault on Iran highlights a shift in strategy.

Israel and Iran both have little incentive to stop and no obvious route to outright victory. Much depends on President Trump.

In sweeping attacks that started Friday, Israel struck at the regime in Tehran, hitting Iranian nuclear and military assets. Iran retaliated with barrages of ballistic missiles and drones. It is the most intense fighting in decades between the two heavily armed countries. To understand what’s happening in the region, Katrin Bennhold, a New York Times senior writer, spoke with Patrick Kingsley, the Jerusalem bureau chief.

Israel has long fought a shadow war with Iran while avoiding all-out conflict. Now Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is risking it all in pursuit of a conclusive victory.

To Israelis, the location of an underground passageway highlights Hamas’s abuse of civilians. To Palestinians, Israel’s decision to target it highlights Israel’s own disregard for civilian life.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged only that Israel had been working with “clans.” But the opposition leader warned that the “weapons going into Gaza will eventually be pointed at Israeli soldiers and civilians.”