US restraint prevents Israeli strike on Hezbollah
After Israel retaliated against Gaza following the Hamas attack on October 7, the Lebanese-based group, Hezbollah, has repeatedly called on Israel to stop its aggressive retaliation against the civilians of Gaza
The Israeli government is facing increasing pressure from security establishment hawks to launch a preemptive strike on Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, it encounters substantial resistance from the United States, which is concerned that such a move could trigger a significant regional conflict involving a two-front war.
After Israel retaliated against Gaza following the Hamas attack on October 7, the Lebanese-based group, Hezbollah, has repeatedly called on Israel to stop its aggressive retaliation against the civilians of Gaza. However, due to the consistent attacks on the Palestinians, the Lebanese group has repeatedly fired upon Israeli settlements, leading to an Israeli evacuation of the northern border, including the town of Kiryat Shmona.
The threat of a major Hezbollah offensive has led to calls from hawks for a strike on its substantial arsenal of missiles, reports The Guardian.
"We want to focus on the Gaza arena and finish the job there. On the other hand, we are getting a lot of pressure from the Israeli population in the north," a senior Israeli security official told the Observer. "People are saying we cannot live on the northern border with Hezbollah less than 100 meters from us, and that can cross the line in a few minutes and slaughter us."
However, during his recent trip to Tel Aviv, US President Joe Biden urged the Israeli leadership not to risk such a preemptive strike on the Iran-backed militia, as reported by The New York Times, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ultimately cooled on the idea.
According to reports, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also been touring the region, seeking to prevent the conflict from spreading.
"The overwhelming view I got from everyone I spoke to was that we need to do everything possible to stop a contagion of conflict in the region," he said.
An Israeli security official revealed that due to the forces massed on the Gaza border, primed for a ground offensive, it has become a priority to avoid a two-front war. He also stated that the decision of escalation was left up to Hezbollah.
"So the intent now is to block and contain the northern arena, not to escalate it, not to go to a full war," the official said, but he added: "We have the capability. We have one eye open, and we know they are trying to split our force. We know they are trying to drag us into this confrontation with them, to make us make a mistake, and we are trying to do our best not to fall into this trap."