TOI World Desk
US President Joe Biden has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt plans for a potential invasion of southern Lebanon following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. At a press conference on Monday, Biden was questioned about Israel’s intentions to launch a limited operation against Hezbollah, which has been firing rockets into Israel in retaliation for Nasrallah’s death.
“I’m more aware than you might know, and I’m comfortable with them stopping,” Biden said. “We should have a cease-fire now,” he added, according to the New York Post. This comes amidst expectations that Netanyahu’s government will take military action to counter Hezbollah’s threats following an airstrike that killed Nasrallah, who had led the group for over three decades.
The airstrike caused major destruction in Beirut while Israel worked to weaken Hezbollah’s military strength. Just weeks before, an Israeli operation had targeted communication systems used by Hezbollah commanders, resulting in numerous casualties.
Biden’s relationship with Netanyahu has been tense, facing criticism from both pro-Israel and anti-Israel groups. Despite his longstanding support for Israel, Biden has denounced Netanyahu over civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip and temporarily halted the shipment of some weapons.
If Israel goes ahead with its military plans, it would be similar to previous cases where US allies in the region ignored American orders. In 2019, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan disregarded President Trump’s warnings before invading Kurdish territories in Syria, only ending the incursion after the US imposed sanctions on Turkey.
Last year, Biden called himself a “Zionist” and visited Israel shortly after the Hamas attack on October 7, which killed around 1,200 people and triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.