The Biden administration reportedly cautioned Israel against “a limited war” in Lebanon, warning it could push Iran to intervene.

The exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah since Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack has revved up over the past two weeks, prompting some at the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli Cabinet to urge an expansion of the fight, Axios reported Thursday.

Unnamed U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios that there’s a growing concern in the IDF and the Israeli Ministry of Defense that the situation in Lebanon is reaching a turning point, even as the United States and France have been trying, without success, to find a diplomatic solution.

According to Axios, U.S. officials say the Biden administration told Israel it doesn’t think “a limited war” in Lebanon or a “small regional war” is an option since it will be difficult to stop it from spinning out of control.

Though skirmishes between Israel and Hezbollah along the border have been steadily escalating in the past eight months, both sides increased the range of their attacks in recent weeks, Axios noted.

“We will continue to fight with strength and intelligence until the task is completed — returning the security and the sense of security to the North,” commanding officer of the IDF’s Northern Command Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin told Axios. “This responsibility is clear and rests on our shoulders.”

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told Axios the United States remains “incredibly concerned about the risk of escalation along the Israel-Lebanon border.”

“We have been engaged in intense diplomatic conversations and intense diplomatic negotiations to try to avoid that conflict from escalating beyond control,” he said, Axios reported.

“Israel has long maintained privately to us — and they’ve said it publicly, too — that their preferred solution to this conflict is a diplomatic one,” he said, noting escalation of the conflict “would lead to further loss of life from both Israelis and the Lebanese people and would greatly harm Israel’s overall security and stability in the region.”

No decisions were made in the Israeli war cabinet meeting, Axios reported.

An unnamed IDF official told Axios several options for expanding the fighting were presented at a meeting in the Israeli war cabinet, including a ground invasion to push Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force away from the border.

The IDF official also told Axios a war with Hezbollah or a limited operation in Lebanon would have “huge implications for Israel” and likely result in an agreement similar to one currently being sought between Israel and Lebanon.

“We need to understand this before making decisions,” the IDF official told Axios.

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