A senior Biden adviser, Amos Hochstein, cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 16 against initiating a wider war against Lebanon, three sources familiar with the meetings told Axios, Report informs.
Hochstein's message came as the Israeli military and security cabinet have been ramping up preparations for a war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which they hope would allow tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to return home.
Exchanges of fire on the Israel-Lebanon border, which started when Hezbollah attacked Israel on October 8, have been consistently escalating.
Hochstein landed right in the middle of a political crisis in Israel. Netanyahu is considering whether to fire defense minister Yoav Gallant, who has been a key partner to the Biden administration.
Two sources familiar with Hoschtein's meetings said the US envoy emphasized to Netanyahu and Gallant that the US does not believe a broader conflict in Lebanon will achieve the goal of returning displaced Israelis to their homes in the north.
Hochstein said an all-out war with Hezbollah risks a much broader and protracted regional conflict, the sources said.
The US envoy made clear to Netanyahu and Gallant that the US remains committed to a diplomatic resolution in Lebanon, "either together with a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal or on its own," the sources said.