The United States has called for a de-escalation of cross-border exchanges between Israel and Lebanese group Hezbollah as threats of a full-blown war loom.
The comments Tuesday by U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein in Beirut were made as attacks continued to escalate on both sides of the border.
Israel and Hezbollah began exchanging fire on October 8, a day after Hamas’ deadly attack on southern Israel.
Recent attacks, including Tuesday’s Hezbollah drone strike on an Israeli tank, took place after an Israeli strike that killed a senior Hezbollah commander last week.
Iran-backed Hezbollah, which allied with Palestinian militant group Hamas, has said that it will only stop attacks if there is a cease-fire in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has said that he hopes for an end to the conflict but is prepared to move forward if Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “insists” on war.
“We hope that the war will stop at any moment, but if [Netanyahu] insists on war, he will take the Zionist entity to disaster and will take the opposing front to a great and proud historic victory.”
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said that Hezbollah is putting Lebanon at risk in an attempt at being “a shield for Hamas.”
“Hezbollah’s increasing aggression is bringing us to the brink of what could be a wider escalation, one that could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the entire region,” Hagari said.
Special envoy Hochstein urged Hamas to accept a U.S.-backed cease-fire deal, saying that it would also aid in de-escalating the conflict along the southern Lebanon border.
Hochstein said a cease-fire or diplomatic solution to halt the Israel-Hezbollah conflict is “urgent.”
News reports say that approximately 473 individuals in Lebanon, including 94 civilians, have been killed since October 8. Israeli officials reported at least 26 deaths in Israel due to the conflict, 11 of which are said to be civilians.
Some information for this report came from Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
