For nearly a year, one of US President Joe Biden's top priorities has been to prevent the Gaza war from spiralling into an all-out regional conflict.
Weeks ahead of an election - and just as Mr Biden begins his farewell visit to the UN General Assembly - Israel is pounding Lebanon, killing hundreds and highlighting the powerlessness of his warnings.
Mr Biden, meeting the leader of the United Arab Emirates yesterday, insisted that his administration was still "working to de-escalate" in coordination with counterparts.
A US official on the sidelines of the United Nations gathering said the Biden administration was presenting "concrete ideas" to provide an "off-ramp" to prevent further fighting and lead to a diplomatic solution.
But events have quickly moved out of US control. Last week, when pagers exploded across Lebanon targeting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group, the United States said it had no foreknowledge of the operation widely attributed to Israel and appealed for calm.
Instead, Israel quickly stepped up its attacks, saying yesterday that it had hit 1,000 Hezbollah sites over the past 24 hours. Lebanese authorities said 492 people were killed, including 35 children.
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Tens of thousands" of people have fled their homes in southern Lebanon since Monday amid deadly Israeli strikes, the UN refugee agency said Tuesday.
ReplyDelete"Tens of thousands of people were forced from their homes yesterday and overnight, and the numbers continue to grow," UN refugee agency spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh told reporters in Geneva, adding that "the toll on civilians is unacceptable".