In conjunction with the visit of Amos Hochstein, Senior Advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden, to Israel on Monday to discuss ways to avoid escalation on the Lebanese-Israeli border, an Israeli political official revealed that the focus in the coming days and weeks will necessarily shift to Lebanon. The unnamed official stated, “We want to exhaust American mediation for calm in the north before resorting to a military solution.”
“No to Vague Understandings”
The official added that Israel will allow the United States to exhaust all mediation efforts to reach an agreement in Lebanon before turning to a military solution, according to the “Israel Hayom” newspaper. However, he emphasized that Israel will not accept vague and impractical understandings. He clarified that the Israeli government is awaiting Hochstein’s proposals during his meetings today.
Hochstein is expected to travel to Beirut tomorrow, where he will meet with the Prime Minister to discuss this escalation issue. The Israeli army warned on Sunday that “intense cross-border fire from Hezbollah could lead to serious escalation,” according to the statement.
A Violent Week
This warning came after a violent week marked by one of the fiercest confrontations on the Lebanese-Israeli border since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip. In retaliation for the assassination of one of its senior field commanders by Israel, the Iran-backed Hezbollah launched the largest barrage of rockets and drones in the eight months of exchanges with the Israeli army, coinciding with the war in Gaza.
The attacks and clashes between the two sides have raised fears of a widespread war throughout the Middle East. According to the latest statistics from the Lebanese “Information International” foundation, the number of fatalities in the confrontations in southern Lebanon has exceeded 444, including about 334 Hezbollah members, 15 from the party’s Islamic Health Committee, 18 from the Amal Movement (an ally of Hezbollah), 3 from the movement’s Scout Association, 67 civilians, 5 from the Islamic Group, 3 journalists, 7 paramedics, one Lebanese army soldier, and one from the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (an ally of Hezbollah).
The Israeli army announced the killing of more than 320 Hezbollah members.
