US officials are also concerned that Benjamin Netanyahu, the embattled Israeli prime minister, could be seeking to expand fighting into Lebanon as a way to his political survival amid scathing criticism of security lapses that led to the Oct 7 Hamas attacks, according to the Washington Post.
Despite Israel’s bellicose rhetoric, the leaders of Hezbollah, which is believed to be a much more capable force than Hamas, appear to be trying to prevent an all-out war.
Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, in a speech on Friday made it clear that he has been working to avoid the war and even spoke of a “historic opportunity” to secure peace for Lebanon, referring to the idea of talks to demarcate the border between Israel and Lebanon.
The so-called Blue Line to which Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000 is not an official international border, which makes it easier for Lebanon to turn a blind eye to a UN resolution calling for the withdrawal of Hezbollah forces further out.
Now that Lebanon’s prime minister has broached the idea of talks with Israel, it appears that Hezbollah, which has been fairly restrained in reacting to recent Israeli assassinations on Lebanese soil, could be willing to sell a border deal with Israel to its support base as a major achievement of its lasting military pressure.
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