The United States opposes a possible Israeli ground operation in Lebanon and plans to take “concrete measures” to prevent further escalation, France Presse reports, citing a senior US official.
The Economist previously reported, citing military sources, that Israel was preparing a ground operation in Lebanon to create a buffer zone north of the border between the two countries.
“We have some concrete ideas that we’re going to be discussing with allies and partners this week… Obviously, we don’t believe that a ground invasion of Lebanon will help reduce tensions in the region, prevent an escalation of violence, which is partly why we’re so focused on using this week to explore these ideas and see if we can develop… a way to avoid (escalation).” — the agency quotes the official as saying.
As noted by the agency’s interlocutor, the US Secretary of State Antonio Blinken The US and other senior US officials will discuss these ideas during meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. He also expressed hope that the US proposals will allow for the initiation of a diplomatic process to resolve the conflict, as a result of which the population of southern Lebanon and northern Israel will presumably be able to return to their homes.
Since Monday morning, Israeli aircraft have begun carrying out massive attacks on settlements in southern and eastern Lebanon. Dozens of villages and several regional settlements were attacked. Hezbollah also fired dozens of rockets towards northern Israel. The Lebanese government has already called on the UN to intervene and stop the “Israeli aggression.”
