White House reiterates that avoiding Israel-Hezbollah war is possible

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby is asked for the umpteenth time during a press briefing whether the US thinks a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah can still be avoided.

“If we were so sure of that, we probably wouldn’t have Amos traveling over there. We’re concerned about it obviously,” Kirby responds, referring to US President Joe Biden’s senior adviser Amos Hochstein, who is in Jerusalem for meetings with Israeli leaders aimed at preventing a further escalation in the north.

“Our level of concern hasn’t really changed. It continues to be something that we’ve been worried about,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says in a later briefing.