NEW YORK, September 20. /TASS/. Israel, allied with Washington, is increasingly defying efforts by US President Joe Biden's administration to achieve de-escalation in the Middle East, The Washington Post (WP) said.

According to the newspaper, the operation in Lebanon dealt another blow to Washington's "beleaguered efforts" to reduce tensions in the region. US diplomats had previously described the absence of a full-scale war between Israel and the Shiite Hezbollah movement as their "core achievement" since the conflict in the Gaza Strip began. However, with the situation escalating, Washington’s control over the region appears weaker than ever.

The publication also notes that the explosions in Lebanon could undermine efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and secure the release of hostages.

The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that Israel and the radical Palestinian Hamas movement are unlikely to reach a ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip before the end of Biden's term in office. The newspaper cited the explosion of communication devices in Lebanon and the subsequent massive strikes by the Israeli Air Force as one of the key reasons for this.