Biden calls for restraint as Israeli-Lebanese conflict escalates
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, expressed his concern on Sunday over the intensification of the Israeli-Lebanese conflict. In a dialogue with the media, he announced that he plans to discuss the matter with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
— It has to be [avoided] — said Biden, addressing the tensions between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah during a brief meeting with the press before departing from Delaware to Washington, D.C.
When asked about the possibility of averting a full escalation of the conflict after Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Biden stated, "We really have to avoid it". The president emphasised that he will soon converse on this topic with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and the White House will provide updates.
Earlier, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby expressed a similar position. In an interview with CNN, he noted that escalating the conflict will not expedite the return of Israeli residents to the border region.
Towns on both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese border were evacuated shortly after the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October. Since then, Hezbollah, which controls southern Lebanon, has consistently shelled Israel in solidarity with the Palestinian organisation, to which Israel has responded with solid counterattacks.
Shelling continues
According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli bombings on Sunday killed at least 66 people.
The Israeli army reported that in the latest wave of strikes, they attacked 45 Hezbollah-related sites in southern Lebanon, including weapons arsenals. There were earlier reports of an air raid on the southern district of Beirut, Dahieh, a Hezbollah stronghold.
The military added that in the afternoon, Hezbollah launched around 20 rockets at northern Israel. Most of them were intercepted, and there were no reports of casualties or injuries. The Iran-backed Lebanese group confirmed the attack, noting that the target was the city of Safed.
