Israel is pounding Lebanon, highlighting the powerlessness of President Joe Biden's warnings to prevent the Gaza war from escalating into a regional conflict. The US said it had no foreknowledge of the operation widely attributed to Israel and appealed for calm. Israel quickly stepped up its attacks, hitting 1,000 Hezbollah sites and causing hundreds of deaths. Efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire and an agreement between Hezbollah and Israel have proven to be dead-ends. The US political calendar, with Biden's heir Kamala Harris locked in a tough race against Donald Trump, may have played into Israeli decision-making on when to expand into Lebanon.