Meeting Gallant, Blinken calls for "avoiding further escalation" on Lebanon border

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken appeared to advise Israel against launching a significant offensive against Hezbollah during his meeting on Tuesday with visiting Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Caliber.Az reports via Israeli media.

Blinken “emphasized the importance of avoiding further escalation of the conflict and pursuing a diplomatic resolution that allows both Israeli and Lebanese families to return to their homes,” the State Department said in its summary of the meeting with Gallant.

This caution from Blinken is the latest in a series of warnings from top Biden officials, as the administration strives to prevent a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah, which has been carrying out near-daily attacks on northern Israel following Hamas’s October 7 assault.

Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. warned on Sunday that any Israeli military offensive into Lebanon would risk an Iranian response in defence of Hezbollah, posing challenges for US forces to support Israel’s air defence.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a Sunday interview, reiterated his hope for a diplomatic resolution to the northern border skirmishes but affirmed that Israel is prepared to respond militarily if necessary.

“A diplomatic solution would need to include the physical distancing of Hezbollah from the border, and we will need to enforce it,” Netanyahu told Channel 14.

Tensions between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah have continued to escalate in recent weeks, with the US suggesting that a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict is the only way to de-escalate the situation.

However, efforts for a ceasefire have yet to succeed, as Israel remains committed to defeating Hamas, while the Gaza-based group demands the release of hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire.