A senior White House official, Amos Hochstein, is set to meet with French officials in Paris to discuss ways to de-escalate the border conflict between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. This conflict has caused Israel to lose sovereignty in its north, according to Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. The trip by Hochstein, the special presidential coordinator for global energy and infrastructure, comes as fears of a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah have grown in recent weeks.
The White House has been working to prevent a war between Israel and Hezbollah, with Hochstein becoming President Biden’s de facto envoy in resolving the conflict. He will meet with French officials who have proposed solutions to halt the fighting. The U.S. is concerned that a conflict between Israel and Hezbollah could draw the United States into a larger conflict.
Blinken has emphasized the importance of finding a diplomatic solution to the border tensions, noting that Iran, a supporter of Hezbollah, wants to ensure the group remains a potential ally in a conflict with Israel. The U.S. is working to broker a ceasefire and aid in the economic development of southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah pulling back from the border.
Efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, where the conflict began, are seen as crucial to preventing further escalation in the region. Despite the challenges, U.S. officials believe there is still a window for diplomacy to resolve the border conflict. Hochstein’s meetings with French officials are a key step in ongoing diplomatic efforts to ease tensions and prevent a wider war in the region.
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