US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is moving in as a crisis firefighter. Time is of the essence: the situation in Gaza is getting worse. And Hezbollah's provocations could lead to the emergence of a second front.
This is a difficult task for the US Secretary of State. Anthony Blinken travels to the Middle East to relieve a crisis as a fire department. This is not the first time the foreign minister has met key players in the region since the Gaza war began. But his current visit comes at a critical time: the risk of the conflict escalating. UN agencies and Arab countries are warning of the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Violence is on the rise in the West Bank. At the same time, Iran's ally in Lebanon, the Shiite militia Hezbollah, has been increasing its attacks on Israel – leading to the emergence of a second front.
A dangerous escalation on the border with Lebanon
It's a dangerous game that drags on for weeks. Hezbollah fires rockets into northern Israel. The Israeli armed forces returned fire with artillery. So many Israeli towns and cities bordering Lebanon have already had to be evacuated. Now these controversies have intensified. Hezbollah has vowed revenge for Israel's killing of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Aruri in Lebanon.
