US warns 'Israel' of escalation with Hezbollah, all-out war: Axios

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Axios
13 Jun 2024 06:43
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The Biden administration has publicly expressed concern about escalation on the Northern Front, warning Israeli officials of all-out war with Hezbollah.

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Special forces fighters from the Lebanese Resistance party Hezbollah carry out a training exercise in Aaramta village, in South Lebanon, on May 21, 2023. (AP)

Washington has "grown extremely concerned" that escalation on the Northern Front between Hezbollah and the Israeli occupation in recent days will lead to an "all-out war," Axios reported.

According to US officials, President Joe Biden's administration is "scrambling" to prevent a larger-scale war between the Resistance in Lebanon and "Israel".

The news outlet explained that the Biden administration has cautioned the Israeli government against the notion of "a limited war" in Lebanon, saying that such an event would lead to other actors participating in the conflict, including Iran.

Axios affirmed that the US is concerned about Israeli officials hurtling the occupation into a war with the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah, "or getting dragged into one."

Moreover, the White House has affirmed that a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is "the only thing that would significantly de-escalate the tensions" on the Lebanese-Palestinian border. This has been reiterated by top Hezbollah officials for months, as the Resistance insists on carrying on with its operations in support of the Palestinian people until the war on Gaza ends.

A larger-scale war with Hezbollah is expected to be detrimental to the Israeli occupation, due to the faction's advanced military capabilities, especially in terms of its precision missile arsenal and war-hardened special forces. Both US and Israeli officials are aware of the matter, however, recent escalation by the Israeli occupation, particularly after a Hezbollah leader, martyr Talib Sami Abdallah, was assassinated on Tuesday, has further ignited the fire in the North.

The event led to an urgent phone call between US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant. The news outlet also reported that the Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces will visit US officials at the White House and the Pentagon next week.

"We are concerned about an increase in activity in the north. We don't want this to escalate to a broad regional conflict and we urge de-escalation," deputy spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters following the call.

The recent escalation, marked by the assassination of martyr Abdallah, has been met by Hezbollah's fighters who launched 19 operations, including substantial attacks on key Israeli infrastructure, on Wednesday.

Resistance leaders have maintained that forces are ready to face increased Israeli aggression and match escalation at any point. Moreover, the Resistance has affirmed that it will not stop its military support to the Palestinian people until the war on Gaza ends, which directly links its operations to the future of the Gaza Strip.