US presses Israel to 'avoid escalation in Lebanon'
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and urged him to “avoid escalation in Lebanon,” amid continuing cross-border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, the U.S. State Department said.
“Secretary Blinken stressed the importance of measures to prevent the conflict from expanding, including affirmative steps to de-escalate tensions in the West Bank and to avoid escalation in Lebanon,” the State Dept. said.
“Secretary Blinken reiterated that Israel must take all possible measures to avoid harm to civilians and underscored the U.S. commitment to promoting tangible steps toward the realization of a future Palestinian state,” it added.
Since hostilities began in October, more than 140 people have been killed on the Lebanese side, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also more than a dozen civilians, three of them journalists. On the Israeli side, at least four civilians and eight soldiers have been killed, according to Israeli officials.
Source: Naharnet
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