US warns Netanyahu against starting war in Lebanon

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.

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.
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