US does not want to see the conflict expand into Lebanon: WH
4 Min Read
The White House's National Security Council says Hezbollah should not "take advantage" of the situation in Palestine.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken talks to reporters before boarding his aircraft to depart Washington on travel to "Israel" on November 2, 2023. (AP)
According to a spokesperson for the White House's National Security Council on Friday, the United States does not wish to see the war in Gaza expand into Lebanon.
The spokesperson remarked that Hezbollah, the Lebanese Resistance, should not "take advantage" of the situation, that is to say "Israel's" weakness.
The spokesperson's comments came right after the speech by Hezbollah's Secretary-General who addressed the Americans, saying, "You can stop the aggression against Gaza because it is the aggression you unleashed, and whoever wants to prevent a regional war must hasten to stop this aggression."
On her part, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters, "We and our partners have been clear: Hezbollah and other actors -- state or non-state -- should not try to take advantage of the ongoing conflict."
"We will not engage in a war of words," Jean-Pierre said.
"The United States does not seek escalation or widening of the conflict that Hamas brought onto Israel," she said, further warning that "this has the potential of becoming a bloodier war between Israel and Lebanon than 2006. The United States does not want to see this conflict expand into Lebanon."
"The likely devastation for Lebanon and its people would be unimaginable and is avoidable."
Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who only yesterday claimed he was pained by images of innocent Palestinian children, reiterated the US support for the Israeli occupation by expressing that so long as the US stands, "Israel will not stand alone.”
This bold expression of solidarity was also communicated to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog along with the war cabinet.
Met with Israeli President @Isaac_Herzog and reaffirmed the United States’ support for Israel’s right to defend itself consistent with international humanitarian law. pic.twitter.com/Sm5qtjdQN6
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) November 3, 2023
Blinken claimed that he urged Israeli leaders to allow "humanitarian pauses" in the war on Gaza to allow aid to enter the besieged strip and allow captives to be released by Hamas.
Blinken said he spoke with "Israel's" war cabinet and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about how, when, and where these pauses can be put into place, as well as what agreements need to be made to increase aid, prevent civilian casualties, and secure the release of captives.
Meanwhile, the US has rejected the increasing number of appeals from around the world for a ceasefire.
During a press conference in "Tel Aviv", Blinken expressed that "a number of legitimate questions were raised in our discussions today," adding that some issues need to be "tacked urgently".
Before meeting with Herzog, Blinken touted "Israel's" never-ending right of "self-defense" to ensure that October 7 "never happen again."
Herzog claimed the occupation forces had notified residents of Gaza through text messages and phone calls that they ought to leave northern Gaza, without mentioning that "Israel" cut off all cellular services and internet connectivity from the enclave in a brazen attempt to cut off the people of Gaza from any communications.
Blinken spoke at the same time as Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, emphasizing that there should not be any more fronts to the war.
"With regard to Lebanon, with regard to Hezbollah, with regard to Iran - we have been very clear from the outset that we are determined that there not be a second or third front opened in this conflict."
Met with Israeli President @Isaac_Herzog and reaffirmed the United States’ support for Israel’s right to defend itself consistent with international humanitarian law. pic.twitter.com/Sm5qtjdQN6
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) November 3, 2023
During his address, Sayyed Nasrallah expressed that “what is happening in Gaza reveals the direct American responsibility for all this killing accompanied by US hypocrisy, and it also reflects the brutal and barbaric nature of the usurping entity that they planted in our region.”
He also affirmed that "Washington is entirely responsible for the ongoing war in Gaza, while “Israel” is merely a tool for execution, stressing that “America is the side preventing the cessation of the aggression against Gaza and rejecting any ceasefire decision."
As a matter of fact, the Americans are the ones running the war in Gaza, according to Sayyed Nasrallah, “which instigated the Islamic Resistance in Iraq to initiate attacks on the American occupation bases in Iraq and Syria,” describing it as "a wise and courageous decision."
