By Al-Fassel and AFP | 2023-10-17

As the Hamas-Israel war on Tuesday (October 17) enters its 10th day and Israel prepares to launch a ground assault on Gaza, world leaders have expressed concern about a second front on Israel's northern border with Lebanon.

They seek to avoid a widening of the conflict that would draw in other regional actors to potentially devastating effect.

Israel has "no interest" in having a war on its northern frontier with Lebanon and does not want to escalate the situation there, as it goes after Hamas in the south, Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Monday.

"If Hizbullah chooses the path of war, it will pay a very heavy price... But if it restrains itself, we'll respect the situation and keep things the way they are, despite them being in a process of shooting from both sides," he said.

Also Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran and Hizbullah not to "test" Israel in the north.

"I tell Iran and Hizbullah not to test Israel or else they will pay a huge price," Netanyahu said, adding that Israel is "prepared for a war on the northern front."

Israel's army said Monday it was evacuating residents living along its northern border, as clashes with Hizbullah have grown more intense and as both Hizbullah and Hamas, which has fighters in Lebanon, fire rockets into northern Israel.

Israeli troops killed four militants attempting to infiltrate from Lebanon and plant an explosive device, the army said Tuesday. Earlier the military said it had targeted Hizbullah with overnight air strikes on southern Lebanon.

An Israeli civilian and an army officer were killed Sunday in missile attacks from Lebanon, and the army carried out retaliatory strikes on Hizbullah infrastructure.

Israeli fighter jets have struck several Hizbullah positions in Lebanon, according to the Israeli army.

'Watching very, very closely'

The Lebanese army on Monday said search operations have led to the discovery of 20 rocket launchers near the border with Israel, the Associated Press reported.

Four of the launchers discovered near the village of Qlaileh, south of Tyre, had rockets inside them and were ready to be fired, the army said, adding that military experts were dismantling them.

According to Al-Monitor, Hizbullah possesses at least 100,000 projectiles designed to quickly overwhelm Israel's northern air defenses.

"We are watching this very, very closely," US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Friday of the situation at the Israel-Lebanon border.

"We don't have any indication at this moment that Hizbullah has made some sort of a decision to go all in."

During a Monday phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned of the "possibility of expanding the scope of war and conflict to other fronts."

Iran hailed the October 7 Hamas assault but insisted it was not involved. Tehran has long supported Hizbullah and Hamas, and has been in close contact with its regional allies since the attack on Israel.

In a Monday post on X (formerly Twitter), Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned that the "probable spread of war to other fronts is approaching an inevitable stage."

"The possibility of pre-emptive action by the resistance axis is expected in the coming hours," Amir-Abdollahian said in a live broadcast to state TV, as he referred to his meeting with Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday.

Efforts to contain the crisis

Meanwhile, the international community has mobilized to try to protect civilians and prevent the conflict from spreading across the region.

Washington and its European allies have been clear in their support for Israel's right to defend itself but are keen to avoid the opening of a second front with Hizbullah in Lebanon.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday began a visit to six Arab countries -- Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt -- arriving in Israel on Monday.

"There's determination in every country I went to make sure that this doesn't spread," Blinken said. "No one should do anything that could add fuel to the fire in any other place."

Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye also are trying to contain the crisis. All have good relations with Israel, and experts think they will have some influence over Hamas.

China and Russia have been more critical of Israel's response to the attack. But they might have some influence over Iran, to prevent the conflict spreading.

Preventing second front

Jordan's King Abdullah on Tuesday warned of a dire situation in the Middle East if the conflict between Israel and Hamas is allowed to spread to other countries.

"The whole region is on the brink of falling into the abyss," Abdullah said. "All our efforts are needed to make sure we don't get there."

Lebanese authorities should take all necessary measures to avert a war with Israel, France's foreign minister said in Beirut on Monday.

Paris has called for restraint from Hizbullah and Iran, with President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday warning Tehran "against any escalation or extension of the conflict."

Macron particularly cautioned against any overflow of the conflict into Lebanon, during a phone call with the Iranian president.

"Iran, given its relations with Hizbullah and Hamas, has a responsibility" and "must do its utmost to avoid any regional conflagration," the French presidency said.

"There is a real risk of an escalation of this conflict -- the opening of a second front in the north and, of course, of Iran's involvement," US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told CBS over the weekend.

Sullivan said Washington had private channels to communicate its concerns to Tehran -- and had used them in recent days.