OU Professor Mike Boettcher: Escalating Middle East Conflict Raises Fears Of Larger Regional War One Year After Hamas Attack

One year after a terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel that left over 1,200 dead, the conflict in the Middle East has only continued to escalate, with Israel’s recent killing of a Hezbollah leader sparking fears of a larger regional war.

Former war correspondent and current University of Oklahoma professor Mike Boettcher joined News 9 to discuss how the war has escalated.

Reflecting on the past year, Boettcher said the situation has dramatically worsened, increasing the risk of a larger regional war.

“From one year ago, I don’t know if anyone could have predicted where we are today,” Boettcher said. “It’s gotten worse and expanded. We run the risk now of a larger regional conflict.”

The initial attack by Hamas a year ago resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and left 250 hostages, with many still unaccounted for.

He parallels historical events, saying, “You cannot look at this war and what’s happened without looking at this attack that occurred a year ago. It’s like looking at World War II without considering Pearl Harbor.”

A recent military action by Israel, which included an airstrike in Beirut that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, further escalated tensions in the region.

Boettcher, who met Nasrallah as a journalist, detailed the extreme measures taken to ensure his safety during their encounter two decades ago.

“We were blindfolded and changed cars four different times in underground parking garages,” Boettcher said. “That’s how much they were afraid even 20 years ago when I introduced him, that, when I interviewed him, that Israel was going to try to kill him.”

With Israel’s targeted actions against both Hamas and Hezbollah, Boettcher said the decapitation of leadership within these groups was a significant development.

“What Israel has done to Hezbollah is what they’ve done to Hamas. They have completely decapitated the leadership of both Hamas and Hezbollah that operates in Lebanon, but where do we go from here? That, that is the big question,” Boettcher said.

When asked about the relationship between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Biden administration, Boettcher suggested that political tensions remain evident while operational communication remains intact.

“They’re both good at the operational level, strained at the very top between Netanyahu and the White House, but that is always kind of the case right before an American election,” he said.

Boettcher also addressed the implications of the ongoing conflict for Oklahoma residents, saying there could be global repercussions.

“We don’t want our young men and women in uniform fighting in the Middle East,” Boettcher said. “We still rely heavily on fossil fuels and energy that come from the Middle East, and if there’s an attack on Iranian oil facilities, that could spike gas prices.”