US ‘holding back Israel from strike against Hezbollah’
Hawks call for action after attacks on settlements in the north, while Rishi Sunak urges caution to prevent conflict spreading
The Israeli government is coming under growing pressure from security establishment hawks to launch a pre-emptive strike on Hezbollah in Lebanon - but is facing strong opposition from the US, which fears a two-front war would risk igniting a major regional conflict.
Since Israel struck back at Gaza after the Hamas attack on 7 October, the Lebanese-based Islamist militia group has repeatedly fired on Israeli settlements, leading to an Israeli evacuation of the northern border, including the town of Kiryat Shmona. The threat of a major Hezbollah offensive led to calls from hawks for a strike at its sizeable arsenal of missiles.
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