Three Democratic members of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee need solutions from the Biden administration on Israeli strikes that reportedly killed members of the Lebanese armed forces (LAF), assaults they are saying may escalate the battle within the Center East.
“Reports that Israel is harming LAF forces in its war against Hezbollah run contrary to the U.S. interest in de-escalating violence in the region,” Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), wrote in a letter despatched Thursday to Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Israel in September stepped up airstrikes in Lebanon and later launched a small floor invasion in opposition to Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah within the nation.
The actions have additional infected tensions within the area — already destabilized by Israel’s struggle on Hamas in Gaza — and has resulted within the deaths of quite a few Lebanese armed forces members.
The lawmakers level to the latest incident, attributable to an Israeli airstrike on Oct. 20, which reportedly killed three Lebanese troopers evacuating wounded Lebanese residents.
“We have all stood firm for Israel’s ability to defend itself from external threats posed by Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. But the United States has also made a commitment to the people of Lebanon to provide humanitarian assistance and continue to support the LAF,” based on the letter, which additionally calls the Lebanese navy a key sovereign establishment “critical to promoting stability amidst ongoing crises.”
The letter represents one other bid by Democrats to push the administration to strain Israel to pare again its assaults in Lebanon.
It additionally comes as U.S. envoys had been in Israel Thursday to aim to safe cease-fires in each Lebanon and Gaza.
Of their letter, the senators ask Austin and Blinken for his or her evaluation of Lebanese armed forces casualties because of Israeli navy operations — together with whether or not they had been Israeli targets and in that case, any operational justification for singling them out.
Additionally they need to know if Israel communicated its use of U.S.-supplied weapons in these operations, any communication Washington has had with the Israelis to protest actions resulting in Lebanese navy casualties, and if Israel has made any dedication to focus its efforts in opposition to Hezbollah in order to guard Lebanese troops, residents and worldwide help staff.
