Biden: All-out war possible as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalates
US President Joe Biden has said that “all-out war” is still possible as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalates, but he says he remains hopeful an off-ramp can be found to prevent further bloodshed.
His comments come after days of back and forth between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon that have killed hundreds and rekindled fears of a broader war in the Middle East.
The president, who addressed the yearly UN General Assembly on Tuesday, was asked by one of the programme’s co-hosts about the possibility of an “all-out” war in the region, whether a ceasefire was still achievable and whether he would condition a ceasefire on all hostages being returned alive.
“An all-out war is possible,” Mr Biden said, adding that he thinks the opportunity also exists “to have a settlement that can fundamentally change the whole region”.
Mr Biden suggested that getting Israel and Hezbollah to agree to a ceasefire could help achieve a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza.
The war in Gaza began a year ago on October 7 when Hamas invaded southern Israel and has caused tens of thousands of deaths, the majority being of Palestinians in Gaza.
“It’s possible and I’m using every bit of energy I have with my team … to get this done,” he said. “There’s a desire to see change in the region.”
US officials say they are floating a number of ideas to calm the situation but they have not been specific about what the scenarios would entail.