WHERE WINDS BLOWING
Despite the current tension along the Gaza border, analysts deem that both Israel and Hamas do not want to see their people caught up in more bloodshed.
At the height of the tension and Israeli airstrikes last week, Mashaal told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that Hamas does not want to see an increase in violence.
"Hamas is not interested in the escalation of tensions and is taking corresponding measures to prevent missile strikes from Gaza, " the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS quoted Mashaal as saying.
In the eyes of Israeli analysts, Israel has also no interests in an escalation along the border with Gaza.
Though Israeli ministers have expressed hard positions against the attacks of Palestinian militants, Israel's response will likely remain in a degree of limitation, a report of Israeli leading daily Ha'aretz commented.
The Netanyahu government has more other headaches to deal with, said the report, adding that, besides easing the crisis with the United States over the Jerusalem issue, it is also Israel's wish to avoid a wider confrontation with the Palestinian National Authority.
The U.S. Obama administration has repeatedly appealed Israel and the Palestinians to maintain restraint as to pave a way for the possible proximity talks between the two sides.
Israel has "no interest in another war in the south, and certainly not in another Goldstone report," said the Ha'aretz report.
However, for the time being it is still difficult to see which way the wind is blowing, as Karmon points out, the current war of words is continuously fanning the flames. In the meanwhile, the current unrest and clashes in Jerusalem are by no means helpful for mitigating the flames.
