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US President Joe Biden warned on Wednesday of the risk of an “all-out war” in the Middle East.
“An all-out war is possible,” Biden said in an interview with ABC. “But I think there is still the possibility of an agreement that could fundamentally change the entire region.”
“There is a possibility, I don’t want to overstate it, but there is a possibility that if we can get a ceasefire in Lebanon, that will allow us to focus on the West Bank,” he added.
“We also have to care about Gaza, but it’s all possible, and I’m doing everything I can with my team to achieve that goal,” Biden said on The View.
The Biden administration is preparing a new diplomatic initiative aimed at a “temporary pause” in the fighting in Lebanon and resuming negotiations on a hostage release deal and a ceasefire in Gaza, according to two US officials, an Israeli official and two informed sources.
The White House initiative is likely to be announced as early as Wednesday in an attempt to stop the escalation between Israel and Hezbollah.
The two American officials and the Israeli official said that discussions regarding the new initiative began after a phone call last Monday between White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer.
A US official and a European diplomat said the United States had discussed the initiative with France, Israel, Lebanon and several other Arab countries over the past two days.
