US President Joe Biden has said that “all-out war” is still possible as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalates, but he says he remains hopeful an off-ramp can be found to prevent further bloodshed.
Mr Biden spoke during an interview on ABC’s The View.
His comments come after days of back and forth between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon that have killed hundreds and rekindled fears of a broader war in the Middle East.
The president, who addressed the yearly UN General Assembly on Tuesday, was asked by one of the programme’s co-hosts about the possibility of an “all-out” war in the region, whether a ceasefire was still achievable and whether he would condition a ceasefire on all hostages being returned alive.
“An all-out war is possible,” Mr Biden said, adding that he thinks the opportunity also exists “to have a settlement that can fundamentally change the whole region”.
Mr Biden suggested that getting Israel and Hezbollah to agree to a ceasefire could help achieve a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza.
The war in Gaza began a year ago on October 7 when Hamas invaded southern Israel and has caused tens of thousands of deaths, the majority being of Palestinians in Gaza.
“It’s possible and I’m using every bit of energy I have with my team … to get this done,” he said. “There’s a desire to see change in the region.”
US officials say they are floating a number of ideas to calm the situation but they have not been specific about what the scenarios would entail.
