A geopolitical expert says the latest aggression in the war between Israel and Hezbollah has an air of 'inevitability'.

Israel has reportedly killed almost 500 in air strikes and injured 1600 in the deadliest day in Lebanon since 2006.

Israel's Defence Force says its mission is to stop the Iran-backed Hezbollah firing rockets into Israel's north and to push it back from the border.

Foreign policy analyst Geoffrey Miller says they've been heading this way for some time.

"There has been a level of inevitability about this - and this just takes it up a notch further. It's a huge death toll."

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