Crystallizing predicament in Lebanon intensifies potential threats to Biden's endeavors of averting broader conflict.
As he gets set for his final significant address at the United Nations on Tuesday, the predicament is casting a shadow over any endeavor to reinforce his international diplomacy record. With no imminent resolution for a truce in Gaza, Biden is facing renewed scrutiny over his handling of the almost year-long dispute.
White House representatives held apprehension over the weekend as Israeli aircraft struck targets in Lebanon while Hezbollah launched rockets and drones into northern Israel. At the same time, Biden was engaging with Asia-Pacific leaders in Delaware. The White House was closely following the situation from Wilmington.
Officials in Biden's team qualify the threat of escalation as significant and genuine, and have been consistently in touch with Israel's officials, they confirmed on Monday.
"The threat of escalation is genuine; it has been since October 7. There are instances where it is more pronounced than others. I believe we're in one of those instances where it is more pronounced," national security adviser Jake Sullivan shared.
Expressing concerns about escalation in the Middle East on Sunday, Biden, however, maintained his belief in the feasibility of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which American officials argue would de-escalate the situation region-wide.
"We're making every effort to prevent an all-out conflict. And we're still pushing for it," he informed reporters at the White House.
His confidence, however, appeared to be waning among administration officials that a resolution could be achieved before Biden's tenure ends.
Throughout the past year, Biden and his top security officials have been striving to keep the conflict in Gaza from metastasizing into a broader regional war, with the northern border with Lebanon being their primary focus.
Amos Hochstein, a senior White House advisor, has dedicated his recent months to thwarting a second front from emerging on the northern border, even taking a trip recently to divert a broader escalation between Israel and Hezbollah.
Despite numerous attempts, there have been no high-level conversations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Biden does not have plans to meet with him during his U.S. visit at the end of this week.
Sullivan told journalists on Saturday that despite the "acute" risk of escalation, there remain possibilities to reduce tensions.
"We also genuinely believe there is a distinct path to achieving a cessation of hostilities and a lasting solution that makes people on both sides of the border feel secure, and we'll do everything in our power to achieve that," Sullivan explained.
The ongoing political tensions in the Middle East, specifically between Israel and its neighbors, have placed a significant focus on Biden's diplomacy in the region. His team is actively working to prevent an escalation and promote a ceasefire, recognizing the threat as genuine and significant.
