Naharnet

European diplomats rule out bigger Israel-Hezbollah war

A major war between Israel and Hezbollah is ruled out until the moment and the U.S. and France have played a key role in weakening this possibility, European diplomatic sources said.

“The chances of a broad war were present during the first days of the war in Gaza, but the supposed regional and international parties of this war understood its calamities and destructive results in advance and managed to avoid it, even preventing any wrong calculation that could lead to igniting the war,” the sources added, in remarks to al-Joumhouria newspaper published Wednesday.

And as a Lebanese official said “the chances of a broad war remain present as long as the Israeli aggression against Gaza and Lebanon continues,” Lebanese diplomatic sources told the daily that Washington is “serious about preventing an expansion of the war.”

Over 190 people have been killed in Lebanon during more than three months of cross-border clashes, including over 140 Hezbollah fighters and over 20 civilians, among them three journalists. In northern Israel, nine soldiers and six civilians have been killed, according to Israeli authorities.

The fighting has also displaced tens of thousands of Lebanese and Israeli residents on both sides of the border and Israel says it is keen on returning its residents to their homes even if that required a military campaign.


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