David Brennan
The Pentagon has warned Israel against any "miscalculation" along its northern border with Lebanon, as fighting between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Iran-aligned Hezbollah militia continues and Israeli leaders threaten to launch a full-scale cross-frontier incursion.
Speaking with reporters earlier this week, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the U.S. believes a diplomatic solution to the border tensions is still achievable and that "no one" would benefit from a new Israel-Lebanon war, which could plunge the region into fresh conflict.
"We firmly believe that a diplomatic resolution to the tensions along the Israel/Lebanon border are the way to go," Ryder said. "And to prevent a potential escalation, and especially in this type of situation where there's a risk of miscalculation that no one wants to see."
"No one wins if there's a broader regional conflict," Ryder added.
Cross-border fighting has been near-constant since Hamas' October 7 attack on southern Israel, with Hezbollah—as fellow member of the Iranian-led "Axis of Resistance"—launching attacks in support of the Palestinian militant group and demanding a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Israel has conducted multiple assassinations of top Hezbollah and Hamas officials within Lebanon, both in the southern region controlled by the group and in the capital of Beirut.
Israeli troops, meanwhile, have been training for a possible incursion into southern Lebanon for several months, with "operational plans" for an offensive into Lebanon already "approved and validated," according to the IDF.
No comments:
Post a Comment