Moscow, Aug. 19 -- The ongoing conflict in West Asia could ultimately result in Israel ceasing to exist as a state, Lieutenant General Apti Alaudinov, deputy chief of the Russian Armed Forces' Main Military-Political Department and commander of the Akhmat special forces unit, told TASS.

"We must realise that the war in the Middle East will only escalate," Alaudinov said.

Alaudinov said Israel was seeking to widen the conflict and draw both the United States and the entire NATO bloc into the confrontation. He argued that such an escalation could ultimately work against Israel, leading to its disappearance as a state.

"I believe that is precisely Israel's objective to ramp up the conflict as much as possible and drag both the US and the ...