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US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that “full-blown war” is still possible as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalates.
Biden said he hoped a way could be found to prevent further bloodshed.
He made the comments during an interview on ABC’s “The View.”
“An all-out war is possible,” Biden said, adding that he thinks there’s also an opportunity “to lead to a settlement that could fundamentally change the entire region.”
The US President suggested that a ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hezbollah could help end hostilities between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza.
He said, “It is possible and I, along with my team, are putting all my energy into making it happen.”
Oct. 7 marks one year since the war, which began when Hamas invaded southern Israel, left thousands dead, most of them Palestinians living in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Wednesday that Israel will not stop its military operation against Hezbollah until residents of the northern region return safely to their homes.
“We are striking Hezbollah in ways it could never have imagined. We are doing this with force, we are doing this with stealth. One thing I promise you: We will not rest until they return home,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi told troops to prepare for a possible entry into Lebanon.
“We are not going to stop. We will continue to attack and harm (Hezbollah) everywhere,” Halevi said.
“To do this, we are preparing for maneuver exercises, and the purpose of this is that your military boots, your maneuver boots, will enter enemy territory.”
“These are the things that will enable us to later bring back the residents of the North safely,” the army chief said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged both Israel and Hezbollah to step back from the currently escalating conflict, saying a full-blown war would be disastrous for the region.
“The best way to achieve this is not through war or escalation of tensions,” he said in an interview with CBS News.
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