According to CNN, the US believes Israel has dealt serious blows to Hezbollah over the past week, significantly weakening it, but is also continuing diplomatic efforts behind the scenes to prevent further escalation of the conflict. US officials fear that an Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon could lead to a wider regional war affecting the entire Middle East.
Following Hamas’ attack on October 7, the escalation of the conflict with Hezbollah became apparent when it began launching rockets and drone strikes the following day. In recent weeks, Israel has been actively attacking targets in Lebanon, including Hezbollah infrastructure, resulting in the deaths of both its leaders and civilians. Israel continues to carry out strikes in southern Lebanon and Beirut while pursuing weapons hidden in residential areas. At the same time, Hezbollah is responding with attacks on Israeli targets, including the Ramat David airbase.
U.S. officials say neither Israel nor Hezbollah want a full-scale war, but there is a risk of Iranian intervention if it believes Hezbollah could lose its hold. Tehran has yet to intervene directly, but an Iranian spokesman has warned of serious consequences for Israeli strikes.
Israel’s strategy of seeking a diplomatic solution through escalation remains questionable. U.S. State Department officials have expressed doubts about the effectiveness of such tactics, noting that escalations have rarely led to stabilization in recent years.
In parallel, the United States is increasing its military presence in the region to ensure security, sending additional forces to the Middle East to prevent a possible expansion of the conflict.
Earlier, Kursor reported that Israel destroyed about half of Hezbollah’s missiles during its attack on southern Lebanon, but the situation could become more complicated due to the system of tunnels and weapons the militants are taking from Iran.
