According to several officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to HuffPost, the support of the administration for Israel and its potential consequences could risk a full-blown war in southern Lebanon.
"Every scenario shows this would escalate into something terrible, whether in terms of counterterrorism or war with Iran," one official said.
The officials revealed their efforts to prevent a worst-case scenario and to restrain the administration from further escalating tensions. However, they pointed out that Biden seems determined to increase hostilities, possibly in an attempt to boost his waning popularity through the "rally 'round the flag" effect.
"I've been trying to keep an avalanche from falling on Lebanon and so have a lot of people. The problem is no one can rein in Biden, and if Biden has a policy, he’s the commander-in-chief ? we have to carry it out. That’s what it comes down to, very, very, very, unfortunately," an official voiced out. (Related: Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah ready to "join the battle" in Gaza, warns Hamas leader.)
This official raised fears that unchecked U.S. support for Israel might encourage the nation to expand its ongoing anti-Hezbollah operations in southern Lebanon.
The officials also disclosed that top U.S. figures, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have struggled to influence Israeli leadership. They cited months of American statements decrying the possibility of a larger regional conflict.
However, top Israeli officials such as Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and even Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remain steadfast in their plans to continue operations in southern Lebanon.
White House claims it is actively working to prevent war with Lebanon
In response to the mounting criticism, a spokesperson for the National Security Council argued that the U.S. is actively working to prevent the conflict from spreading into Lebanon.
"The United States has been clear we do not want to see this conflict spread to Lebanon. Getting Israeli and Lebanese citizens back into their homes, living in peace and security is of the utmost importance to the United States," the spokesman said in a statement. "We continue to explore and exhaust all diplomatic options with our Israeli and Lebanese partners, and we continue to urge the Israelis to do all they can to be targeted and avoid civilians, civilian infrastructure, civilian farmland, the [United Nations], and the Lebanese Armed Forces."
Key White House advisor on Middle East Affairs Amos Hochstein and Blinken have reportedly been working for months to bring Hezbollah and Israel to the table to agree to some kind of ceasefire between them. These months-long efforts have yet to yield any positive results, as neither side appears to be willing to agree to certain concessions. Recent Israeli strikes in Beirut and near a United Nations peacekeeping base in southern Lebanon further complicate the negotiation process.
Moreover, the official stressed other incidents such as attacks on commercial shipping by the Houthi militia in Yemen, aligned with Hezbollah, and repeated hits on U.S. forces in Iraq. The latter prompted an American airstrike on an Iran-linked militant in Baghdad, sparking outrage.
"War would not only be catastrophic for Lebanon and the Lebanese people, it would further inflame the entire region and what is basically a fairly limited back-and-forth between the U.S. and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and a fairly limited situation still in the Red Sea. A broader war in Lebanon would completely blow up the entire thing," the official said.
However, other officials noted that the Biden administration seems unwilling to explore other alternative options, such as placing conditions on U.S. weapons supplies to Israel. They also claimed that the U.S. warnings against escalation have not been as urgent as American calls for Israel to do more to shield civilians in Gaza.
"You don't have those same levels of public pressure and public rhetoric on avoiding war in and with Lebanon. We need that," they said.
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Watch the video below to know why it is bad news for Israel that Hezbollah is preparing for war in Lebanon's southern border.
This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.
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