US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed the importance of a diplomatic approach to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
In an interview with NBC, he noted that violence will not lead to a long-term solution.
Blinken said that “Israel has a real and legitimate problem” because after the horrific Hamas attacks on October 7 that shook southern Israel, the situation has been worsened by Hezbollah rocket attacks.
This forced residents of northern Israel to flee their homes, while Israeli retaliation prompted the evacuation of people in southern Lebanon.
“Everyone wants to get back to normal, where families can be in their homes and children can be in schools. Israel is committed to creating a safe environment. But the best way to achieve this is not war or escalation of conflict, but diplomatic efforts,” Blinken said.
He added that, despite legitimate concerns, the conflict will not be resolved by military means. The Secretary of State also said that Washington is working on a plan to reduce tensions in the region.
Earlier, Kursor reported that a White House representative expressed disagreement with a possible Israeli ground operation in southern Lebanon, stressing the importance of a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. In response to rocket attacks from Lebanon, the White House noted that no country should tolerate such threats on its borders and that it was necessary to strive for a peaceful resolution of the situation.
