MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The administration of US President Joe Biden fears the outbreak of a full-scale war between Israel and the Shia movement Hezbollah in the wake of the detonation of communication devices in Lebanon earlier this week and an Israeli airstrike on a southern suburb of Beirut on Friday, media reported, citing unnamed US officials.
According to the report, US officials believe the Israel-Hezbollah fighting could significantly increase in the coming days, sparking an all-out war between the two sides.
The Biden administration’s latest analysis shows that it will be difficult for the two sides to seek deescalation.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Friday that Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah special operations commander Ibrahim Aqil and several other commanders had been killed in a strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut. Hezbollah confirmed the death of Aqil. The Lebanese Health Ministry said the Israeli airstrike had left 12 people dead and 66 others wounded.
The situation on the Israeli-Lebanese border escalated after Israel started hostilities in Gaza in October 2023. The Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah fighters conduct attacks almost daily on each other’s positions in areas along the border.