White House Urges Israel to Avoid Escalation Amid Tensions With Hezbollah 👉 Updatem News

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed retaliation for the rocket attack that killed children at soccer field.

The White House on July 29 urged Israel to avoid escalating tensions with Lebanon-based Hezbollah after a rocket attack that killed 12 children at a soccer field in the Golan Heights.

“Israel has every right to respond,” Whitehouse national security spokesman John Kirby said during a call with reporters. “But nobody wants a broader war, and I’m confident that we’ll be able to avoid such an outcome.”

Mr. Kirby said that U.S. officials spoke with Israeli counterparts over the weekend, but he declined to provide further specifics.

“I want to let the Israelis speak to whatever their response to this attack is going to be,” he said. “We don’t want to see the war escalate. We don’t want to see a second front opened up there in the north. What we want to do, and what we’re so focused on, is finding a diplomatic solution.”

Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Lebanese group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.

In a statement on July 28, the United States attributed the attack to Hezbollah, following discussions with Israeli and Lebanese authorities.

“It was their rocket and launched from an area they control. It should be universally condemned,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.

“Hezbollah started firing on Israel on October 8, claiming solidarity with Hamas, another Iranian-backed terrorist group. Our support for Israel’s security is ironclad and unwavering against all Iran-backed threats, including Hezbollah.”

Ms. Watson stated that the United States is also working on a diplomatic solution along the “Blue Line,” the U.N.-drawn border between Israel and Lebanon, to end attacks and allow citizens on both sides of the border to return home safely.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed retaliation to the rocket attack, saying his government would exact a “heavy price” on the Hezbollah terrorist group.

“Israel will not overlook this murderous attack,” he said on July 27.

Hezbollah has denied responsibility for the rocket attack, which occurred in Majdal Shams, a predominantly Druze town in the Golan Heights, which is about seven miles from the Israel–Lebanon border. Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib told news outlets on July 28 that Hezbollah hasn’t targeted any civilians.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut has warned Americans to leave Lebanon or be prepared to shelter in place due to the “complex and quickly changing situation.”

“We recommend U.S. citizens develop a crisis plan of action and leave before a crisis begins,” Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Rena Bitter said in a video message posted on X on July 29.

If commercial air travel becomes unavailable, anyone remaining in Lebanon should be prepared to shelter in place for an extended period, Ms. Bitter said.

Monica O’Shea and Chase Smith contributed to this report.

Original News Source Link – Epoch Times

Running For Office? Conservative Campaign Consulting – Election Day Strategies!