(NewsNation) — Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah remain high after the Israeli military on Tuesday approved operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon, fueling Washington’s concerns of a wider regional conflict.
“As part of the situational assessment, operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated, and decisions were taken on the continuation of increasing the readiness of troops in the field,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed proxy group based in Lebanon, have been launching near-daily cross-border exchanges of fire since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Hezbollah — in solidarity with Hamas — declared that it will not stop until Israel ceases its military campaign in Gaza.
“On that day, when the shooting stops in Gaza, we will stop the shooting in the south” of Lebanon, Hezbollah’s leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in February.
IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari warned Sunday that “Hezbollah’s increasing aggression is bringing us to the brink of what could be a wider escalation, one that could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the entire region.”
In an attempt to keep the lid on a wider war and push for a diplomatic solution, President Joe Biden on Tuesday dispatched his senior adviser to Beirut, Lebanon for discussions with top officials.
“What President Biden wants to do is to avoid a further escalation to a greater war,” Amos Hochstein, deputy assistant to the president, said after the meeting. “That is the effort here. It will take everyone’s interest in ending this conflict now. And we believe that there is a pathway diplomatically to do it, if the sides agree to it. But this is a very serious situation that we are in.”
The proposal outlined by Biden and backed by Qatar and Egypt, detailed three phases that would lead to the release of hostages and an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. While the proposal has been accepted by Israel, key elements have been rejected by Hamas.
The top U.S. diplomat, Antony Blinken, said that Hamas put forward numerous changes to the plan.
“Some of the changes are workable; some are not,” Blinken noted, adding that “we’re determined to try to bridge the gaps.”
