US warns escalation with Lebanon would 'harm security of Israel'
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The warning from the US State Department comes right after Netanyahu threatened Lebanon with strong action in the north.
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A Hezbollah flag flutters in the Khiam plain on the Lebanese side of the border with occupied Palestine on September 2, 2019 (AFP)
The United States warned on Wednesday that an escalation with Lebanon would only harm the Israeli occupation's security after the entity's top officials increased their threats against the country in the past few days.
"We don't want to see that escalation of the conflict which would just lead to further loss of life from both Israelis and the Lebanese people and would greatly harm Israel's overall security and stability in the region," State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a press conference.
Read more: Hezbollah's swarm of drones impact Israeli site, kill, injure dozens
Settlements in northern occupied Palestine witnessed massive fires this week as a result of Hezbollah's operations, which come in support of Gaza and in response to repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanese towns and civilians.
Visiting Kiryat Shmona, the settlement that saw the most intense fires and that has been a focus for Hezbollah's attacks in the past month, Netanyahu said, "Israel is prepared for very strong action in the North. In one way or another, we will restore security to the North."
But Miller considered that the "statements from the Israeli government saying that they are ready for a military operation, if necessary, (are) different than saying that they have made a decision to conduct a military operation."
"We are still in a place where we believe they prefer a diplomatic solution," he added, pointing out that the US understands that the current situation in northern occupied Palestine is "untenable .. for Israel".
"There are tens of thousands of Israeli citizens who cannot return to their homes in the north of Israel because it's not safe to do so because of the... constant Hezbollah shelling and drone attacks in the area."
Hezbollah's Deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said Tuesday that Hezbollah is prepared for a full-scale war if "Israel" chooses to escalate the situation in Lebanon.
"If Israel wants to wage a full-on war, we are ready for it," Qassem said. "Any Israeli expansion of the war on Lebanon will be met with destruction, devastation, and displacement in Israel."
He added that Hezbollah has only used a small fraction of its capabilities in the recent fighting and that there was no serious decision taken by the United States to halt the Israeli war on Lebanon.
Finally, he criticized US President Joe Biden's ceasefire proposals, calling them "lacking in objectivity" and suggesting they were motivated by domestic US political considerations.
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
