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US defence secretary Lloyd Austin has warned Hizbollah’s “provocations” threaten to drag Israel and Lebanon into a war that neither side wants.
Austin’s warning came ahead of a meeting on Tuesday with Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, who is in Washington to consult with senior officials about its war with Hamas in Gaza and tensions on its northern border.
White House officials are increasingly concerned about the prospects of full-blown war between Israel and Hizbollah as daily exchanges of fire between the two have escalated sharply in recent weeks.
Earlier this month tensions spiked after Israeli forces killed a senior Hizbollah commander in Lebanon, prompting the militant group to fire dozens of rockets into northern Israel.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, on Sunday laid out plans to redeploy the country’s forces to the northern border with Lebanon once the “intensive phase” of the war in Gaza winds down in what he said was a “defensive” move aimed at allowing some 60,000 Israelis who have been evacuated from the area to return home.
US officials have intensified their diplomatic efforts, with visits to the region and talks in Washington with Gallant, as concern rises over the risk of miscalculation by the two sides.
Austin said: “Another war between Israel and Hizbollah could easily become a regional war, with terrible consequences for the Middle East and so diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent more escalation.”
Speaking alongside Gallant, he added: “We’re urgently seeking a diplomatic agreement that restores lasting calm to Israel’s northern border and enables civilians to return safely to their homes on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border.”
Gallant added that while Israel supports diplomatic efforts it is also planning for fighting should it become necessary. “We are working closely together to achieve an agreement but we must also discuss readiness on every possible scenario,” the Israeli defence chief said.
US officials say they have warned Hizbollah that Washington will not be able to restrain Israel from invading its neighbour if the group continues its attacks.
American officials have also cautioned Israel that there are limits to how much it would be able to defend the country should it open go to war with Hizbollah, one of the world’s most heavily armed non-state actors.
Israel and Hizbollah have signalled to the US they do not want a full-blown war, say diplomats.
In a televised address last week, Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the group did “not want total war” with Israel, but cautioned there could not be a ceasefire until the war in Gaza ended.
Israel’s national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi on Tuesday said “we and the Americans believe and we will dedicate weeks now in an attempt to reach an arrangement”, he said, referring to the push for a diplomatic deal.
Speaking at the Herzliya security conference in Israel, he added: “If there will not be an arrangement through diplomatic means, everyone understands that there must be an arrangement through other means. For now we prefer to focus on the diplomatic campaign.”
Additional reporting by Raya Jalabi in Beirut
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