US warns "Israel" to avoid escalation with Hezbollah
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The effort by top US officials to stop an Israeli attack on Hezbollah, reported in detail here for the first time, highlights the US fear over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision-making as both entities strive to present a united front.
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US President Joe Biden walks to the podium to deliver remarks on the war between Israel and Hamas, October 18, 2023, in "Tel Aviv" (AP)
US and Israeli officials relay that US President Joe Biden and his top aides have been cornering "Israel" to refrain from executing a major strike against the Lebanese Resistance, Hezbollah, that could draw it into the war.
The warning comes amid concern that members of the Israeli war cabinet want to challenge Hezbollah after the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, since US officials see that "Israel" cannot handle a two-front war, which would potentially bring in both the United States and Iran.
This would potentially become inevitable if the US and "Israel" carry out a ground invasion in Gaza.
Biden replied: "Not true" when asked about a report that his aides have told Israeli occupation officials that if Hezbollah starts a war against "Israel", the US military will join the confrontation.
The effort by top US officials to stop an Israeli attack on Hezbollah is reported in detail here for the first time, highlighting the US' fear over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision-making as both entities strive to present a united front.
Read next: 'Hezbollah is very smart': Trump calls out Biden's security failure
The Biden administration feared that Netanyahu would greenlight a pre-emptive strike on Hezbollah. Even though those fears were scaled down after Netanyahu backtracked, anxieties remain with the presence of two possibilities: either a hysterical overreaction by "Israel" to Hezbollah's rockets or a possible ground invasion in Gaza that would leave no choice for Hezbollah but to enter the war.
trump: "Hezbollah's very smart. They're all very smart."
— Rashid Raheem (@rashidraheem531) October 12, 2023
President Biden: "Our nation’s support for Israel is resolute and unwavering. And the right time to praise the terrorists who seek to destroy them is never."#bbtvi#Israel #อิสราเอล #غزة_تحت_القصف #Debate2023… pic.twitter.com/I1fdH3r7Vj
'Long war, high price'
US officials have advised "Israel" in meetings this week to be cautious against Hezbollah and to not give it a reason to enter the war. This advice took place during sensitive talks when Biden visited "Tel Aviv" last Wednesday and during Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s negotiations earlier this week.
"Israel's" Security Minister Yoav Gallant has been the biggest rooter of igniting a war with Hezbollah, after stating that the IOF should focus on Hezbollah since it poses a greater threat than Hamas.
A representative of Netanyahu’s office issued a statement recently that said, “Israel is united in the war against Hamas." Additionally, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that if Hezbollah joins the war, "they will make a grave mistake and will pay a devastating price unlike any before.”
Gallant took US diplomats by surprise with remarks hailing the presence of US warships in the Mediterranean and saying: “This will be a long war; the price will be high.”
All in all, there are growing concerns about the threat of escalation, as Iran's foreign minister hinted at Hezbollah taking preemptive action against "Israel," and the resistance axis groups show signs of mobilization and rhetoric about future conflicts, raising difficulties for the administration's efforts to maintain some distance from the fighting.
While the US has pledged unconditional support for "Israel" in its aggression against Gaza, it is concerned about the possible repercussions of the ground invasion, the report explains, listing a set of concerns:
- The conflict could snowball into a regional war that would involve other parties, such as the Lebanese Islamic Resistance - Hezbollah;
- The humanitarian toll on Palestinian civilians could subject "Israel" and the US to increased international pressure;
- Exacerbation of the struggle and increased Palestinian casualties could place normalization deals with Arab governments at risk;
- The fate of the captives, which "Israel" seems to have decided to sacrifice as "collateral damage" in its war against Gaza;
- "Israel" has no prospective plan for Gaza beyond their determination to "destroy" Hamas.
