Egypt Daily News – Amid the escalating tensions between Israel and Lebanon, particularly in the last few hours following Hezbollah’s response with over 100 rockets targeting northern Israel, a comment from the United States has emerged.
“The escalation is not in Israel’s interest,” stated White House spokesperson John Kirby on Sunday. He warned that the military escalation is detrimental to Israel, referencing the recent developments between Tel Aviv and Hezbollah during an interview with American network ABC.
Kirby emphasized that the U.S. had communicated this stance directly to Israeli officials, saying, “This is what we are directly telling our Israeli counterparts.” He reiterated the call for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, indicating that further escalation could lead to all-out war.
This American announcement comes in the wake of heightened tensions on Israel’s northern front, where the Israeli army reported that over 150 rockets and drones were launched towards Israel overnight, following Hezbollah’s barrage of rockets that targeted multiple areas in Upper and Lower Galilee, as well as southeastern Haifa and Akko.
Hezbollah has again struck the Lower Galilee and the suburbs of Haifa, with rockets previously hitting Akko and Kiryat Bialik, one of Haifa’s suburbs. The group also targeted southeast Haifa, where one missile struck the Israeli Ramat David Airbase and others targeted a military industrial complex north of Haifa.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to implement necessary measures to restore security, proclaiming, “If Hezbollah does not understand the message, I assure you that it will.” He stressed that Hezbollah has sustained significant losses in recent days.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant confirmed that military operations against Hezbollah will continue until the residents of northern Israel can safely return to their homes.
This represents a severe escalation, particularly following attacks over the last week targeting Hezbollah’s communication devices, which led to 39 fatalities and over 3,000 injuries. Although Israel is widely believed to have conducted these operations, it has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.
Furthermore, an Israeli airstrike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut last Friday, resulting in the deaths of 16 Hezbollah members, including commanders Ibrahim Aqil and Ahmad Wahbi. The total number of fatalities has risen to 50, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
