Biden monitors escalating tensions between Israel and Lebanon
The White House National Security Council spokesman, Sean Savett, stated that U.S. President Joe Biden "is closely monitoring the events in Israel and Lebanon."
6:33 AM EDT, August 25, 2024
"He [President Biden] has been engaged with his national security team throughout the evening," says Savett. "At his direction, senior US officials have been communicating continuously with their Israeli counterparts. We will keep supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, and we will keep working for regional stability," he assured.
On Sunday morning, the Israeli military announced that it was attacking Hezbollah targets after detecting preparations by the organization to strike Israel.
Shortly after that, Hezbollah reported that it conducted a large-scale attack against Israel in response to the country's killing of Hezbollah's military commander, Fuad Shukr, on July 30. The Iran-backed group added that it launched 320 rockets at 11 Israeli army bases located in the north of the country.
Israel does not want a full-scale war
"Israel does not seek a full-scale war but will act according to development on the ground," - stated Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Sunday. He added that Izrael initiated attacks on Hezbollah because they detected it had been planning a severe attack on Israel using drones and rockets.
Katz wrote to his counterparts in many countries, calling for support for Israel in its fight against Hezbollah, Iran, and their allies, reported the Times of Israel portal.
