Israel launched a ground offensive against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon on Tuesday in a marked escalation of tensions in the Middle East — and the energy markets largely shrugged. The indifference is significant because the Middle East is a huge producer of crude oil — pumping one-third of the world's supply — so any geopolitical tension in the region could spark some sort of meaningful price gain.

Last week, Brent oil futures fell by about 3%, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures declined by around 5% as demand worries increased after fiscal stimulus from China, the world's second-biggest economy and top oil importer, failed to reassure market confidence.

Oil prices were steady on Tuesday as the prospect of additional supply entering the market amid lacklustre global demand growth offset concerns that the escalating Middle East conflict could disrupt exports in the key producing region.