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 The rapidly escalating conflict in Lebanon could endanger Biden's efforts to stop a wider war.

The rapidly escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon is further threatening President Joe Biden’s efforts to reduce tension in the Middle East, leaving the president with ever-diminishing options to secure a ceasefire-and-hostage deal that has become his top priority in the final months of his presidency.

As he prepares for his final high-profile speech at the United Nations on Tuesday, the crisis is overshadowing any attempt at burnishing his foreign policy legacy. Without any near-term hopes for a ceasefire in Gaza, Biden is facing new questions about his approach to the nearly year-long conflict.

White House officials watched with concern over the weekend as Israeli warplanes struck targets in Lebanon while Hezbollah fired rockets and drones into northern Israel. As Biden was meeting Asia-Pacific leaders in Delaware, the crisis was unfolding in a different part of the world. The president and his aides were closely monitoring the situation from Wilmington.

Biden’s aides currently view the risk of escalation as serious and real, and have been communicating on a daily basis with officials in Israel, officials said Monday.