Washington, DC, July 17, 2024. Washington, DC, July 17, 2024--The intensifying cross-border skirmishes and escalating rhetoric between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel are increasing the risks of a full-fledged conflagration. In such a scenario, unwanted by the majority of Lebanese, both sides are likely to inflict significant pain on each other, with catastrophic consequences for Lebanon. War will, moreover, almost certainly activate Iran and its proxies against US targets, setting the region on fire. The US would inevitably be drawn into direct confrontation with Tehran, which would be costly and jeopardize US interests in the region.
The US today is, realistically, the only actor that can convince Israel not to engage in a wider war for which it has outlined a diplomatic solution. Horrendous and gratuitous attacks like the Israeli bombing of a 600-year old monastery in South Lebanon will only serve to erode Lebanese public opinion. The Lebanese people and their leaders must amplify their opposition to Hezbollah’s involvement in a destructive war, and the international community must heed these calls in earnest.
ATFL calls on the Biden administration to redouble its efforts to negotiate a sustainable agreement between Lebanon and Israel that leads to the withdrawal of Hezbollah’s forces from the border and its replacement with the combination of international and bolstered Lebanese armed forces. To ensure a lasting settlement, the US should commit to facilitating negotiations on the demarcation of the land border between the two nations and commit to international support for the rebuilding of the South. Without a major diplomatic breakthrough, the situation will continue to fester and could erupt into a far deadlier war than the one raging since October 7.
