U.S. and European officials are warning of the possibility of the war in Gaza expanding, with the prospect of an Israeli offensive in Lebanon against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters Monday in Luxembourg that the risk of the war spilling over is growing bigger every day.
“I think that, unhappily, we are on the eve of the war expanding,” Borrell said.
He also said a cease-fire in Gaza is desperately needed to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid, saying “delivery of humanitarian assistance inside Gaza has become impossible.”
Borrell’s comments came hours after the top U.S. military officer warned an Israeli offensive in Lebanon would raise the risk of a broader conflict that draws in Iran to aid Hezbollah.
Israel has been battling Iran-backed Hamas in its offensive in the Gaza Strip for months while also engaging in daily skirmishes with Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that Iran would be “more inclined to provide greater support to Hezbollah,” describing the militants as having more resources than Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the "intense phase" of fighting against Hamas in Gaza will be ending "very soon." But he added that Israel will likely shifts troops to the border with Lebanon.
In his interview with Israel's Channel 14, Netanyahu said moving troops north would bolster the country's defensive posture against Hezbollah and allow Israelis who fled the fighting near the Lebanon-Israel border to return home.
He added that while he hopes a diplomatic solution to the conflict with Hezbollah could be found, Israel can "fight on several fronts, and we are also preparing for it.”
