U.S. Envoy Arrives in Israel Amid Growing Focus on Hezbollah Escalation

Latest Developments

White House special envoy to the Middle East Amos Hochstein arrived in Israel on June 17 amid skepticism in the Israeli media that he would be able to rein in the growing threat posed by Hezbollah on the northern border. “Hochstein is unlikely to prevent an escalation despite his upcoming efforts. His influence on Hezbollah is considered relatively limited,” Ynet noted ahead of Hochstein’s meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, former war cabinet member Benny Gantz, opposition leader Yair Lapid, and President Isaac Herzog.

Expert Analysis

“Hochstein is repeating his mistakes from the October 2022 deal delineating the maritime border between Israel and Lebanon, which was achieved in the shadow of Hezbollah’s threats. His current ceasefire proposals would, at best, achieve only a deceptive quiet along the Blue Line that, like his ostensible accomplishment from 2022, will only whet Hezbollah’s appetite to use violence to extract more concessions from the international community. Thus, the proposals will set the stage for a far more destructive conflict with Israel in the future.” — David Daoud, FDD Senior Fellow

“Hezbollah has been incrementally increasing its attacks on Israel in May and June. The terrorist group senses that Israel will not respond with overwhelming force and it is trying to pick up the slack of reduced Hamas capabilities in Gaza. Hezbollah’s attacks are designed to slowly turn up the heat on Israel while making it harder for Israel to escalate without risking a larger war.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow

Hezbollah Refusing to Cooperate With UN Security Council

Hezbollah’s increasing aggression risks a wider escalation, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on June 16. Hagari asserted that Hezbollah’s continued attacks on Israel “could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the entire region.” The Iranian-backed terrorist group has “fired over 5,000 rockets, anti-tank missiles, and explosive UAVs from Lebanon at Israeli families, homes, and communities,” Hagari added. He noted that Hezbollah still refuses to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, passed in the wake of the 2006 war, which mandates Hezbollah’s full disarmament. “Israel will take the necessary measures to protect its civilians — until security along our border with Lebanon is restored,” Hagari concluded.

Hochstein’s arrival coincided with reports that Hezbollah’s escalation has caused hundreds of people to flee southern Lebanon, including Christians from small villages near the Israeli border. Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with a bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation on June 17, telling the lawmakers pointedly that “Israel is engaged in a war against Iranian proxies – a war on Western civilization.”

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