AVERTING CATASTROPHE

Biden Reportedly Talked Israel Down From Striking Hezbollah After Hamas Attack

The call from Biden and his team helped limit an expansion of the war in its early days.

In the early hours of Oct. 11, the White House learned of plans by Israel to launch an aerial assault against Hezbollah, sparking a day of talks that culminated with President Joe Biden talking his Israeli counterpart down from launching the preemptive strike, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and fellow Israeli officials reportedly feared Hezbollah would cross its borders and capitalize on the aftermath of Hamas’ attack, which just days earlier had overrun Israeli defenses and led to the deaths of more than 1,200 Israelis

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Israel asked for U.S. support for its attack but, after the White House convened its top security and military officials, the U.S. concluded its intelligence did not reflect the conclusions Israel had arrived at.

After a 45-minute call between Biden, Netanyahu and advisers to both leaders, Israel relented. The country’s air forces had already taken to the skies by the time Netanyahu called off the attack.

In the weeks since no attack from Hezbollah materialized. Israel has focused its efforts on obliterating Hamas—a campaign that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians and turned much of the Gaza Strip into rubble.

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