Ramiz Darrah/Anadolu/Getty Images
Smoke rises after Israeli forces attack the Al-Qiam area of Nabatieh Governorate in southern Lebanon on June 21, 2024.
CNN
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U.S. officials assured a high-level Israeli delegation visiting Washington this week that the Biden administration is fully prepared to support its ally if all-out war breaks out between Israel and Hezbollah on Israel’s northern border, a senior administration official said.
The direct assurance came amid a rise in cross-border attacks between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in recent weeks, raising concerns about the possibility of a new full-scale conflict erupting in the Middle East. It also prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly accuse the United States of withholding arms and ammunition supplies to Israel, sparking a tense exchange of words between Israeli and U.S. officials.
Senior Israeli officials, including Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and National Security Adviser Tzaki Hanegbi, took part in a series of meetings in Washington this week with Biden administration officials, including National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House Middle East Coordinator Brett McGurk. They discussed a wide range of topics, including the situation on Israel’s northern border, Iran, and cease-fire and hostage negotiations, according to sources.
Discussing the issue of Hezbollah provocations, U.S. officials made clear this week that the Biden administration would provide Israel with necessary security assistance, but the U.S. would not send troops on the ground in such a scenario, the official said.
Hezbollah’s provocations against Israel have continued since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and have intensified in recent weeks. The Biden administration has repeatedly said it does not want to see another war break out on Israel’s northern front and has urged diplomatic de-escalation. U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein was sent to the region this week to help ease the conflict.
Still, the lack of a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and continued cross-border attacks by Hezbollah into Israel have U.S. officials wary of a full-scale conflict in the region, and if Hezbollah were to significantly increase the scale of its attacks on Israel and result in Israeli deaths, they would expect Israel to respond with its full force.
As CNN reported, U.S. officials have serious concerns that if all-out war broke out between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militants could overwhelm Israel’s northern air defenses, including its much-vaunted Iron Dome air defense system. Given this reality, full U.S. support for Israel becomes all the more important.
During meetings this week, U.S. and Israeli officials discussed the possibility of an “off-ramp” to ease tensions along the so-called Blue Line that separates Lebanon and Israel, a senior administration official said. The talks also touched on ways to allow Israelis and Lebanese who have fled the border to return to their homes.
