White House approves Israel's operation in Lebanon against Hezbollah but warns about risks
The White House commented on Israel's operation in Lebanon (photo: wikipedia.org)
The US administration believes that Israel's ground operation in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah militants' infrastructure aligns with the country's right to defend itself against threats from terrorist groups. However, such missions are associated with real risks, reports CNN.
According to a representative of the US National Security Council, the American side understands that Israel will conduct limited operations to dismantle Hezbollah's infrastructure that could be used against civilians.
"This is in line with Israel’s right to defend its citizens and safely return civilians to their homes," the spokesperson for the National Security Council stated.
The US official emphasized that the White House supports Israel's right to defend itself against Hezbollah and all Iran-backed terrorist groups.
At the same time, the spokesperson warned that Washington is aware that conducting such missions may involve risks, and we will continue discussing this with the Israelis.
The White House stated that it continues to monitor Israel's operation in southern Lebanon.
Earlier, US officials informed CNN that their Israeli counterparts had indicated that the ground operation in Lebanon was intended to be limited in scope and duration.
However, the American edition noted that they publicly emphasized the possibility that such an Israeli operation could ultimately expand in scale and turn into a long-term invasion.
Nonetheless, it should be noted that a high-ranking Israeli official previously told American media that there would be no long-term occupation of southern Lebanon.
Earlier reports indicated that the Israel Defense Forces announced that their troops had begun ground raids in southern Lebanon as part of their operation against Hezbollah.
Additionally, amid this operation, there was a conversation between the US and Israeli defense ministers. The Pentagon stated that the ministers also discussed serious consequences for Iran if Tehran were to resort to a direct attack on Israel.
