US President Joe Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt a pre-emptive strike against Hezbollah forces in Lebanon, just after Hamas launched its savage attack on Israel, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The report claimed that Biden warned that a pre-emptive strike on Hezbollah "could spark a wider regional war."
According to WSJ, Israel had intelligence that Hezbollah terrorists were preparing to cross the border as part of a multipronged attack, but the US deemed Israel's intelligence "unreliable." Warplanes in the air awaiting orders were called off their task, WSJ claimed, quoting "people familiar with the call," due to Biden's pressure.
The Prime Minister's Office responded: "This report is incorrect."
"Already on the first day of the war, Prime Minister Netanyahu decided that Israel will act first of all to achieve a decisive victory in the south, while deterring attacks in the north. This policy was adopted by the Cabinet."