The Biden administration says it supports “limited” Israeli military operations in Lebanon. But for Lebanese who are desperately fleeing Israeli attacks, watching their country be destroyed, or hearing the thump of airstrikes and whirring of drones overhead—well, Israel’s war doesn’t feel particularly limited. And there’s little reason to believe it will remain limited, as Israel presses its ground offensive in southern Lebanon and both U.S. and Israeli aims become more expansive.
The Biden administration has now endorsed a new Israeli war on Hezbollah in Lebanon—a total inversion of the administration’s earlier push for a diplomatic solution and a ceasefire. What’s more, Washington is trying to opportunistically leverage Israel’s military campaign to reshape Lebanon’s politics. It’s a policy that is destabilizing and dangerous.
The United States ought to be pressing for a life-saving ceasefire in Lebanon, and withholding material support to Israel’s expanding war. Instead, it is cosponsoring an Israeli attack it will not be able to moderate or control.