Can two simple stories explain it? Israel has invaded southern Lebanon overnight. So how did we get to this moment?
Full scale war looms in the Middle East
Fire and fury: Thousands have fled their homes as wars ravage four different nations. They may be thousands of miles apart, but experts argue the wars can be linked. Glossary
Middle East - The lands around the east of the Mediterranean Sea and Arabia.
Israel - A country in the Middle East, and the only Jewish nation in the modern period. It is seen by Jews, Christians and Muslims as the Holy Land.
Hezbollah - A militant organisation based in Lebanon, classified in the UK as a terrorist group. It has made direct attacks on Israel and is believed to have been responsible for assassinating Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri.
Lebanon - A small country on the eastern Mediterranean coast that has been in the grip of an economic crisis for over a year. It has a native population of just 4.7 million, but migrants and refugees have brought its total population up to almost 7 million.
Gaza - The smaller of two Palestinian territories, home to two million people. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, bordered by Israel and Egypt.
West Bank - A landlocked territory bordered by Israel, Jordan and the Dead Sea. It is the largest of the Palestinian territories.
Yemen - The poorest country in the Gulf region is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis.
Eliminated - Get rid of all examples.
Houthis - An Islamist rebel group that controls a large part of Yemen. They are allies of Hamas in Gaza.
allies - An ally is someone that aligns with and supports a cause with another individual or group of people.
Iran - A country in Western Asia, officially called the Islamic Republic of Iran. It has a population of 84 million.
USA - The United States of America is a country in North America. It has a population of 329 million.
Russia - The largest country in the world by area. It has a population of 144 million people.
Ukraine - A country in Eastern Europe. It was invaded by Russia in February 2022.
Palestinian - Palestine is an area of the eastern Mediterranean region, including the West Bank, Gaza Strip and parts of modern Israel. It has been fought over by Arab and Jewish national movements for many years.
Coloniser - A country that takes over and rules another country.
Advantage - Something (such as a good position or condition) that helps to make someone or something better or more likely to succeed than others.
Consequences - The result of an action.