The Biden administration said Monday it is confident that an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah can be avoided and is engaging its Israeli and Lebanese counterparts to calm tensions in the region.
“No one wants a broader war, and I am confident that we will be able to avoid such an outcome,” said John Kirby, communications adviser to the White House National Security Council, on a conference call with reporters.
Kirby defended Israel’s right to strike back against Hezbollah after a rocket attack Sunday by the U.S.-designated terrorist group that hit a soccer field in northern Israel. He killed a dozen young men and injured about 30 others.
Israel has carried out some strikes across Lebanon in response, but more substantial retaliation is expected following an Israeli Security Council meeting that gave authority to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to “decide on the form and the timing of the response against the terrorist organization Hezbollah.”
The Associated Press reported a Hezbollah official said the group was deploying precision-guided missiles but did not want an all-out war with Israel.
Kirby said U.S. officials have been in contact with Israeli and Lebanese officials to reduce tensions.
“There is no reason, in our opinion, for this to lead to a dramatic escalation so that there is still time and space for diplomacy,” Kirby said.
“We have been in ongoing discussions with our Israeli and Lebanese counterparts and the United States will continue to support efforts to reach a diplomatic solution along the Blue Line that will, first, end these horrific attacks once and for all, and second, allow Israeli and Lebanese citizens on both sides of the border to safely return to their homes,” continued Kirby.
The Blue Line refers to the border line between Israel and Lebanon and established by United Nations Security Council resolutions that sought to end fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in 2000. The last major war between the two occurred in 2006.
Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed military and political group that controls southern Lebanon, began attacking Israel following the Hamas attack on October 7. Although alternating attacks between Israel and Hezbollah have displaced tens of thousands of people on each side of the border and resulted in death and destruction, the fighting is considered largely contained.
The prospect of all-out war is considered highly devastating for both sides. Lebanon, generally considered a failed state with widespread corruption and an economic crisis, would likely fall further into ruin under a massive Israeli airstrike and potential ground invasion.
And Hezbollah has expanded its weapons arsenal, which puts Israel’s entire population within striking distance and with minimal time to seek shelter.
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