New U.S. Efforts to Prevent War Between Israel and Hezbollah

Axios reported on Friday, June 15, citing two Israeli officials, that the U.S. government is sending Amos Hochstein, the special envoy of the Biden administration, to the region on Monday to prevent the recent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah from escalating into a full-scale war. Meanwhile, Lebanese media report that amid the intensifying clashes between Hezbollah and Israel, Israeli fighter jets targeted the town of Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon on Friday. Axios states that amid efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, a full-scale war between Israel and the Hezbollah group significantly exacerbates the regional crisis and engages the United States more broadly in the region's conflicts. The Israeli Defense Minister rejected France's proposal to reduce tensions with Hezbollah. U.S. officials told Axios that in recent days, preventing the conflict at the Israel-Lebanon border from escalating into a full-scale war has become an urgent priority for the White House, ranking second after establishing a ceasefire in Gaza. Hezbollah, which is supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran and is considered a terrorist group by the U.S., has fired hundreds of rockets, mortars, and drones toward Israel since Wednesday; attacks that have led to widespread fires in northern Israel and the Golan Heights. Following the killing of four senior military officials of the group during a gathering at one of the commander's homes in the town of Joya in an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday night, Hezbollah has launched about 300 rockets of various ranges toward Israel. On Thursday, Hezbollah attacked nine Israeli military bases on an unprecedented scale. The Israeli army announced that Hezbollah sent 16 suicide drones into Israeli airspace since Wednesday morning, of which 11 were intercepted and the rest caused damage. Axios reports that Amos Hochstein will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant on Monday to discuss ways to reduce tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. An informed source told Axios that Hochstein is likely to travel to Beirut for discussions with Lebanese officials. The new U.S. efforts come after the Israeli Defense Minister rejected France's proposal to reduce tensions. The French President proposed the formation of a tripartite commission of Israel, France, and the U.S. to reduce border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. General Yoav Galant stated on Friday that while Israel is fighting in the 'most just battle' and defending its people, France has adopted 'hostile policies against Israel.' Emmanuel Macron, the French President, announced on Thursday during the G7 summit in Italy an 'agreement' to form a tripartite committee of American, French, and Israeli representatives to explore ways to reduce tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. Hezbollah Lebanon entered a military campaign against Israel one day after the extremist Hamas group's attack on Israeli territory to support this other Tehran ally, conditioning the end of this operation on the cessation of the Israeli army's war in Gaza. During this period, Hezbollah has lost about 350 of its forces, and more than 90 Lebanese civilians have been killed in Israeli attacks. Hezbollah's attacks on northern Israel have so far killed 15 military personnel and 11 civilians, causing damage to cities in the north of the country and leading to the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents.