### America Warns Israel: Do Not Strike Beirut
Following the conclusion of the Israeli mini-cabinet meeting on Sunday, which lasted three hours and was dedicated to discussing the response to an attack attributed to Hezbollah that resulted in the deaths of 12 children and adolescents in the town of Majdal Shams in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, the details remain crucial.
**”Do Not Strike Beirut… Escalation Could Spiral Out of Control”**
All that was announced through the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was that the security cabinet meeting had ended and that its members had authorized Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to determine the “type” and “timing” of Israel’s response to the Hezbollah attack.
Despite Hezbollah’s complete denial of targeting children in the Golan and the international warnings that poured in over the past hours to prevent any escalation, Israeli insistence remains steadfast.
In the face of this insistence, the American administration appears to have intervened. An Israeli official and an American official reported that President Joe Biden’s team warned Israel against any attack targeting the heart of the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
The two added that the warning indicated that striking any Hezbollah targets in Beirut in response to the Golan attack could spiral the situation completely out of control, according to the Axios website.
An Israeli official stated that President Biden’s senior advisor, Amos Hochstein, spoke on Saturday with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and informed him that while Israel has the right to defend itself against Hezbollah, it should avoid full-scale escalation and minimize civilian casualties.
Hochstein also expressed concern that if the Israeli military attacked Beirut, Hezbollah would likely respond by launching long-range missiles at Israel, which would likely lead to further escalation.
The American official noted that his country believes that an Israeli military strike on Beirut would be a potential red line for Hezbollah.
He indicated that Israel, it is believed, will carry out only a limited strike without targeting objectives in Beirut.
This information comes after Israel announced on Sunday that the Israeli security cabinet had authorized the government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, to determine the “method and timing” of the response to a rocket attack on the Golan Heights, which resulted in the deaths of 12 children and adolescents, an attack for which Israel and the United States blamed the Lebanese group Hezbollah, despite a categorical denial from the latter.
After the meeting concluded, Netanyahu’s office stated that the cabinet had “authorized the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister to determine the method and timing of the response.”
**”Paying the Price… Exercising Restraint”**
Israel has consistently emphasized that Hezbollah is responsible for the attack, threatening the group with repercussions.
On Sunday, it confirmed that all indications pointed to Hezbollah being behind the attack, then explained the specifications of the targeted missile.
The Israeli army stated that it “is preparing to respond” to Hezbollah, which denied any responsibility for the attack on the village of Majdal Shams.
Meanwhile, international warnings poured in about the dangers of escalation and the potential for it to turn into a highly dangerous full-scale war, with calls for restraint.
By/radwa sherif ✏️✏️📚