Washington is racing to avert a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah after the attack in which 12 youths were killed, said the five people who include Lebanese and Iranian officials plus Middle Eastern and European diplomats.
The focus of the high-speed diplomacy has been to constrain Israel's response by urging it against targeting densely populated Beirut, the southern suburbs of the city that form Hezbollah's heartland, or key infrastructure like airports and bridges, the sources told Reuters.
Lebanon's deputy parliament speaker Elias Bou Saab, who said he had been in contact with US mediator Amos Hochstein since Saturday's attack, told Reuters Israel could avert the threat of major escalation by sparing the capital and its environs.
"If they avoid civilians and they avoid Beirut and its suburbs, then their attack could be well calculated," he said.
The US State Department said it wouldn't comment on the specifics of diplomatic conversations, though it was seeking a "durable solution" to end all cross-border fire.
"Our support for Israel's security is ironclad and unwavering against all Iran-backed threats, including Hezbollah," a spokesperson told Reuters.
On Sunday, the members of the Security Cabinet authorized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to decide on the manner and timing of the response against Hezbollah in the wake of the massacre in Majdal Shams.
Earlier, Kan 11 News reported that the US administration estimates that Israel's retaliation against Hezbollah for the massacre in Majdal Shams will be significant but not one that would lead to an all-out war. Israel National News - Arutz Sheva
