White House spokesperson John Kirby warned on Sunday about the risks posed by the current military escalation on Israel.
Speaking to ABC News, Kirby stated, “We do not believe that escalating this military conflict is in their best interest, and this is what we are communicating directly to our Israeli counterparts.”
He emphasized that there is still room for a diplomatic solution to the conflict, adding that this is what the U.S. is working on, without providing further details.
Rising Tensions in Lebanon
Tensions have risen sharply in recent days, with dozens of deaths and thousands injured in Lebanon. This follows a series of explosions on Tuesday and Wednesday involving communication devices used by Hezbollah, which have been attributed to Israel.
On Saturday night into Sunday, heavy cross-border shelling occurred between Lebanon and Israel.
Kirby noted that the escalation “is certainly not in the interest of all those people that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he wants to bring back home.”
Israel’s Promise to Restore Calm
Israeli authorities have vowed to restore calm on the northern front so that displaced residents, who fled due to the fighting, can safely return to their homes.
