In Beirut, US envoy urges de-escalation between Israel, Hezbollah: ‘Achievable, urgent’

US envoy Amos Hochstein on Tuesday called for the “urgent” de-escalation of cross-border exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel, raging since the start of the Gaza war, as drone alert sirens sounded in a number of northern towns near the border with Lebanon for the first time in days.

“The conflict… between Israel and Hezbollah has gone on for long enough,” the presidential envoy said on a visit to Beirut.

“It’s in everyone’s interest to resolve it quickly and diplomatically — that is both achievable and it is urgent.”

The Iran-backed terror group, an ally of Hamas, began attacks on Israel on October 8, but stepped them up last week after an Israeli strike killed one of its senior commanders.

Since Saturday afternoon, Hezbollah has not claimed any attacks against Israel, despite Israeli strikes on the border area in Lebanon’s south including one on Monday that killed a fighter, in a lull that came during the Eid al-Adha.

There was no immediate comment from the Israel Defense Forces on the sirens early Tuesday afternoon, though the Ynet news site reported that a drone from Lebanon was intercepted. READ MORE