Biden adviser will be in Israel on Monday in bid to prevent escalation between Israel, Lebanon

A senior Biden adviser will travel to Israel on Monday for meetings to avoid further escalation between Israel and Lebanon, a White House official said.

Amos Hochstein will advance efforts to avoid further escalation along the “Blue Line” between Israel and Lebanon, said the official, who did not wish to be identified.

Amos Hochstein visited Israel in November, also in an effort to contain the cross-border violence with Hezbollah and to contain the conflict with the Houthis in Yemen, who have continued attacking commercial ships along the shipping route in the Red Sea. 

Hezbollah’s attacks

Attacks between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon have led to worries of a deeper war across the Middle East.

“Hezbollah’s increasing aggression is bringing us to the brink of what could be a wider escalation, one that could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the entire region,” Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a video statement in English before this visit was announced.

Last week, Hezbollah launched the largest barrage of rockets and drones towards Israel since the beginning of the war in October. 

According to Hagari, Hezbollah has launched over 5,000 rockets, anti-tank missiles and explosive UAVs into Israel since October 7. Hezbollah says it will not halt fire unless Israel stops its military offensive on Gaza.

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