Politico: Israel received "green light" from US for expanded ops against Hezbollah

In a recent development, senior figures in the White House have privately communicated to Israel that the United States would back its decision to increase military pressure on Hezbollah, despite the Biden administration publicly urging the Israeli government to limit its strikes.

According to American and Israeli officials who spoke to Politico on condition of anonymity, presidential adviser Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk, the White House coordinator for the Middle East, informed top Israeli officials that they concurred with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s overarching strategy to redirect Israel’s military efforts towards Hezbollah, Caliber.Az reports.

This approach aims to persuade the group to engage in diplomatic discussions to resolve the ongoing conflict.

However, the shift in focus has not garnered unanimous support within the US administration. Sources indicate that the decision to concentrate on Hezbollah has sparked divisions, with opposition emerging from within the Pentagon, State Department, and intelligence community. These critics argue that Israel’s actions against the Iran-backed militia could potentially embroil American forces in yet another conflict in the Middle East.

When approached for comments on the private conversations between Israeli leaders and US officials, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, chose not to elaborate. He stated,

“We don’t always ask for permission for everything we do,” and added, “I think what they say publicly reflects the goal that they would like to see a diplomatic solution, which we are not against.”

In mid-September, during calls and meetings, Israeli officials broadly indicated their military’s preparations for this shift, although they did not disclose specific details. Hochstein and McGurk communicated to their Israeli counterparts that, while they still advocated for a cautious approach, the current timing appeared favourable for such a move, particularly after Hezbollah had been significantly weakened in recent months.

Hezbollah has historically maintained that it would only engage with Israel if a ceasefire were reached with Hamas, which it has been fighting in Gaza. However, US assessments indicated that Hamas was unlikely to agree to a ceasefire deal shortly, suggesting that it might be an opportune moment for Israel to focus solely on Hezbollah and separate the two conflicts.

This latest escalation with Hezbollah commenced on October 7, when the group began launching rockets from Lebanon into Israel, resulting in the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians on both sides. The conflict with Hamas also erupted on the same day, further complicating the regional dynamics.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon announced on September 30 that the US will be deploying “a few thousand” additional troops to the Middle East to enhance security and potentially defend Israel. This decision comes in the wake of reports indicating that Israel has already conducted limited raids across the border into Lebanon.

With this new deployment, the total number of US troops in the region could rise to as many as 43,000.

Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh informed reporters that the increased military presence will involve multiple squadrons of fighter jets and attack aircraft. US officials noted that this figure also includes small numbers of other troops to supplement the existing forces.

The announcement follows recent strikes in Lebanon and the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, particularly between Israel and Hezbollah.

The additional troops will consist of squadrons of F-15E, F-16, and F-22 fighter jets, as well as A-10 attack aircraft, alongside the personnel required to support them. Originally intended to rotate and replace existing squadrons, both the current and new squadrons will now remain in position, effectively doubling the air power available in the region.

By Aghakazim Guliyev