Eyal said that his assessment was that neither Israel nor Syria wanted war.
"The question is whether Assad can afford to sit quietly as his last instrument in Lebanon [Hezbollah] is removed. It is 50-50 either way," he said.
"He would like to keep a presence in Lebanon, but hasty involvement in the conflict could see most of his military hardware go," Eyal said.
Brigadier-General Ido Nehushtan, the Israeli military's planning and policy chief, told journalists this week that Israel had no choice but to confront the threat posed by Hezbollah.
"We want to change the situation along the border, a situation that we find to be impossible." Nehushtan said.
"Our ground forces are prepared and ready for whatever orders are given," he said.
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