US official warns Israel, war with Hezbollah could have ‘catastrophic and unforeseen’ consequences

Quiet day in northern Israel ends with 20-rocket barrage toward Western Galilee

Read this article in:

A senior U.S. official warned that an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah could have “catastrophic and unforeseen consequences,” as the residents of northern Israel saw a relatively quiet day on Monday.

The unnamed official spoke during the MEAD conference in Washington, D.C., on Monday. “There is no war in lab conditions. It’s not a game. I don’t doubt the capabilities of the IDF, but we have to think about the fact that there will be serious consequences for both sides,” he said.

He especially warned against voices in Israel demanding a war to remove the threat hanging over the residents of northern Israel, enabling tens of thousands of evacuated citizens to return to their homes.

“There is an idea of let’s go to war and then we will destroy all the missiles Hezbollah has and everything will be fine. It’s not that simple,” he cautioned. “There is no magic solution. The other side cannot be annihilated. At the end of the war, Israel may pay a heavy price and not achieve its goals.”

Noting that such a war would end with the intervention of the international community and a diplomatic arrangement similar to the one the U.S. is currently advocating, he advised the parties to reach an agreement without resorting to a costly war.

Meanwhile, the first alarm sirens of the day in northern Israel sounded in the Western Galilee around 4 p.m., giving the war-weary residents nearly 24 hours of relative quiet, which was abruptly ended by a barrage of approximately 20 rockets.

תקיפה ישראלית לעבר רכב בבקעת הלבנון המערבית. דיווחים על נפגעים https://t.co/7j0X5PSWQw pic.twitter.com/wOUqpeCkNv
— roi kais • روعي كايس • רועי קייס (@kaisos1987) September 10, 2024

On the other side of the Lebanese border, the IDF continued to whittle down the forces of Hezbollah, eliminating a commander from its elite Radwan Force.

The IDF said it “eliminated, using an Air Force aircraft, the terrorist Muhammad Qasem al-Sha'er in the Karoune area, who served as a commander in the Radwan unit… al-Sha'er advanced many terrorist activities against the State of Israel.”

The IDF confirms killing a commander in Hezbollah's elite Radwan force in a drone strike deep in Lebanon earlier today.

According to the IDF, Muhammad Qassem al-Shaer was involved in advancing many attacks on Israel. The military says his killing "is another blow to the ability… https://t.co/ftB33Cybtp pic.twitter.com/xt7XgQ9w9X
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) September 10, 2024

The targeted strike on al-Sha’er’s vehicle was carried out near the Beka’a Valley, about 40 km (24 miles) north of the Israeli border.

In addition, Lebanese sources reported a precise IDF strike on an apartment in the town of Nabatiyeh, claiming that a Hezbollah headquarters was the target.

Lebanese media report an Israeli drone strike on an apartment in the town of Zebdine on the outskirts of the city of Nabatieh.

No further details are immediately available. pic.twitter.com/6CO4bFbqZ8
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) September 10, 2024