The United States sees supporting Israeli attacks on Lebanon as a new way to resolve the conflict after weeks of diplomatic efforts to persuade Israel and Hezbollah to cease fire, Reuters reported.
“We support Israeli strikes to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure so we can pursue diplomatic solutions,” said Matthew Miller, spokesman for the US Department of Foreign Affairs.
Experts say the new US goal is to reduce conflict in the Middle East while weakening the Iran-backed Hezbollah force. The new approach is very realistic but also risky. Besides, the US and Israel will both benefit if Hezbollah is destroyed.
Former US Foreign Affairs official Jon Alterman said the US wants to see Hezbollah weakened but must weigh that against the risk of creating a major “vulnerability” in Lebanon or provoking a regional war.
About two weeks ago, the US and France asked Israel and Hezbollah to cease fire within 21 days. However, the proposal quickly collapsed when Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and launched a ground campaign in Lebanon, killing a series of senior Hezbollah commanders.
Hezbollah's command capacity was significantly weakened after the killing of its leader Hassan Nasrallah and it first agreed to an unconditional ceasefire on October 8.
Israel continued to launch airstrikes on Beirut (Lebanon) to kill a senior Hezbollah commander on October 10. However, the attack not only failed to achieve its goal but also caused a building to collapse completely, killing 22 people and injuring 117 others.
