US President Joe Biden has condemned escalating tensions between Israel and Lebanon, saying that diplomacy is needed to prevent an open war. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday, Biden said that the war will not only end up in the destruction of cities but will obliterate entire countries in the region.

“Major conflict is not beneficial for any of the sides,” Biden said, noting the necessity of relations between Israel and Hezbollah. His remarks came after the Israelis unlea shed a barrage of air strikes in Lebanon that left over a hundred people dead, Lebanese health officials said.(More)

Despite increasing pressure to look at his administration’s support for Israel as it goes on an assault in Gaza and now Lebanon, Biden has been slow. However, it has been a cause for worry to many that the U.S. president has continued to support the Israeli government, thus provoking debates at home and in foreign countries.

 Increasing violent acts in Lebanon

The situation in Lebanon has been complicated in the last few days. The Lebanese Health Ministry announced on Tuesday that 569 people, including 50 children, were killed in Israeli attacks in different areas of the country. In addition, 1862 people were injured, and thousands of civilians left their homes for safe shelter.

Hezbollah has defended the attacks as the work of the Israeli military to disarm the group and retaliate after it began engaging in cross-border fighting as soon as Israel’s war on Gaza began. The conflict, which started on October 7 after Hamas engaged Israeli forces, has so far taken more than 41,000 Palestinians through hail attacks, mainly in the Gaza Strip.

Even when most people have urged the cessation of hostilities, Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, is not ready to stop the attack. Officials from the United States, such as Biden, have ceased urging diplomacy. However, a famine diplomatic process has yet to be observed.

 Criticism of U.S. Support

Some experts and political analysts consider Biden’s pro-Israel stance aggressive. Senior political analyst Marwan Bishara has blamed the U.S. for facilitating the escalation. “The U.S. is contributing to the escalation to war,” Bishara said while explaining that Israel only gets unconditional military support from its ally down the road, the U.S.

Lauding diplomacy, Biden’s critics have inquired if his administration has applied adequate pressure on the Israeli administration to cease military action. Lebanon’s foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib also criticised Biden’s speech at the 76th UNGA, accusing the latter of not providing a positive solution to Lebanon’s crises.

Joe Biden on Ukraine

However, alongside discussing the Middle East, Biden also restated his administration’s support for Ukraine in the ongoing war against Russia. In his speech, Biden spoke about Washington’s significant military and financial support for Kyiv, stating that the U.S. will maintain the support until Ukraine attains a ‘‘just, sustainable peace.’’

Critics have frequently accused Biden of being too friendly towards Ukraine, the more so as the 2024 U.S. elections loom. Current U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, who is seeking to reclaim the presidency, have accused the current government of failing to provide the nation with a route map on how to contain the war raging in Ukraine.

As tensions worldwide escalate, Biden’s actions and diplomacy in the Middle East and Ukraine will continue to attract attention.