Politico: US fears full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah
American officials expect further escalation of hostilities between Israel and the Hezbollah group operating in southern Lebanon, which could potentially lead to a full-scale war between them.
This was reported to Politico by several American officials.
Two Politico interlocutors cite an internal assessment by the Joe Biden administration that it will be difficult for Israel and Hezbollah to achieve de-escalation - especially after recent Israeli shelling.
Israel has told the United States that it intends to put pressure on Hezbollah through military action to force it to agree to a diplomatic solution that would allow Israelis to return to their homes in the north of the country.
One U.S. official told Politico that he expects more shelling of Lebanon, particularly Beirut, and some form of Hezbollah retaliation against Israel, possibly in the form of drone attacks.
The fighting is also expected to include targeted assassinations of Hezbollah commanders, strikes on its weapons depots, and further targeted attacks on communications infrastructure, a third Politico source added.
Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 23/09/2024
