America fears being dragged into another war.
The Biden administration is reportedly concerned that escalating attacks between Israel and Hezbollah could spark a wider conflict.
CBS News reported on June 15 that US officials are “increasingly concerned” about the possibility of the Israel-Hamas war turning into a larger conflict involving Hezbollah and the US military. The newspaper said this week’s exchange of rockets across the Israel-Lebanon border has raised the risk not only of a larger war but also of attacks by Iranian-backed militias on US military forces in Syria, Jordan and Iraq.
Like Hamas, which has been at war with Israel since last October, Hezbollah is supported by Iran, according to the source. CBS said Amos Hochstein, Biden's foreign policy adviser, is expected to travel to Israel on June 17 to work on "de-escalating the conflict."
Unnamed US officials have outlined a number of worrying scenarios, including the possibility that further attacks on the Lebanese territory of West Jerusalem could signal preparations for a major Israeli military offensive. The Biden administration is also concerned that the increasing number of Hezbollah rocket attacks could provoke Israel into responding in a way that could lead to an “unwanted war,” CBS sources said.
These officials are increasingly concerned that Israel will start a war against Hezbollah in Lebanon that cannot end without US support.”
Washington sees Israel-Hezbollah tensions and efforts to broker a ceasefire in the war with Hamas as “linked.” A senior U.S. official told reporters in Italy on June 13 that any ceasefire would require “concrete agreements” on Israel-Hezbollah tensions.
“The most important thing about the ceasefire and hostage release that is now on the table is that if it is achieved, it could have an impact in northern Israel, so it is an opportunity for us to be able to bring this conflict to a complete end,” the official said.
Such a deal would allow residents who were evacuated from northern Israel after the war with Hamas to begin returning home under security guarantees. Tensions with Hezbollah have become a “potential political issue” in Israel as residents near the Lebanese border have been displaced for more than eight months.
A US official told CBS that Israeli brigades in the north have been conducting exercises but are not ready to launch an attack. “Unlike the surprise Hamas attack in October, a possible war with Hezbollah in Lebanon is something the Israeli military has been calculating for years,” the newspaper said.
