US President Joe Biden’s administration has recently cautioned “Israel” against the idea of “a limited war” in Lebanon, warning that it could prompt Iran to intervene, Axios reported Thursday, citing two American officials and one Israeli official.
The news website mentioned that the ongoing confrontations between Hezbollah and the Israeli occupation forces since October 7 have seen a significant escalation in the last couple of weeks, pushing some within the Israeli occupation government and military to advocate for a substantial expansion of the fighting.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that “Israel” was “prepared for a very intense operation” along the border with Lebanon. His Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has even issued calls for invading and occupying Lebanese territory.
Axios said American and Israeli officials pointed to growing concern within the Israeli military and Security Ministry that the situation in Lebanon is approaching “a turning point,” with efforts by the United States and France to find a diplomatic solution to ease tensions along the border so far yielding no progress.
According to the website, the Biden administration believes that restoring calm will be impossible without achieving a ceasefire in Gaza.
American officials informed Axios that the Biden administration conveyed to “Israel” its view that “a limited war” in Lebanon or a “small regional war” is not a “realistic option”, because it would be challenging to prevent it from escalating out of control.
US and Israeli officials revealed that the Biden administration cautioned “Israel” that even a limited ground invasion of Lebanon, particularly in border areas, would likely provoke Iranian intervention.
The officials said that one scenario discussed by the Biden administration with “Israel” is the potential influx of fighters from Syria, Iraq, and Yemen into Lebanon to join Hezbollah in its battle.
