US intelligence believes that a catalyst for war – such as a major attack by both sides – could happen without warning.
War between Israel and Hezbollah could break out in the next few weeks if Jerusalem and Hamas fail to reach an agreement on a cease-fire in Gaza. Politico writes about such American intelligence data on Thursday, June 27.
As the publication notes, American officials are trying to convince both sides of the need for de-escalation. This task will be easier if a ceasefire is established in Gaza.
But the deal is under intense negotiation and US officials are not confident that Israel and Hamas will agree to the proposed deal anytime soon.
Two senior US officials said intelligence that the IDF and Hezbollah had developed battle plans and were trying to buy additional weapons.
Both sides have said publicly that they do not want war, but US officials increasingly believe that heavy fighting is likely to break out despite efforts to prevent it.
The risk is higher now than at any time in recent weeks, another senior US official said on condition of anonymity.
A war between Israel and Hezbollah could spark a conflict that would force the US to help defend Jerusalem and push US President Joe Biden’s administration to intervene deeper in a region it has been trying to leave for years. It also risks another humanitarian disaster, hitting the humanitarian community at a time already stretched to the brink of exhaustion and struggling to cope with the crisis in the Gaza Strip.
American intelligence offers slightly more conservative estimates than those coming from Europe. Some European countries estimate that the war between Israel and Hezbollah could start within days. Many of them advised their citizens to leave Lebanon. Canada is also preparing to evacuate thousands of people from the country. The State Department on Thursday issued an advisory to US citizens, urging them to “strongly reconsider” travel to Lebanon.
The two senior officials stressed that it was unclear when war might break out, but noted that Israel was trying to quickly rebuild its stockpiles and military capabilities.
National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said the administration was working on a “diplomatic solution” that would allow Israeli and Lebanese citizens to return to their homes.
The Biden administration has been trying for weeks to convince both sides not to go to war. In addition, the newspaper notes, US officials said that intelligence indicates that a catalyst for war, such as a major attack by both sides, could occur without warning.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, who visited Washington this week, told reporters on Wednesday that Israel does not want war but is preparing for all possible scenarios.
Let’s recall that the Israeli Foreign Ministry recently announced that the moment is “approaching” to declare the country’s full-scale war against Hezbollah.
Hezbollah attacked Israel with more than 70 rockets
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.