THE United States (US) government is concerned about rising tensions in the Middle East. That’s after a series of bombings rocked Lebanon for two days in a row, killing at least 37 people and injuring thousands.
“We are concerned about these tensions, and we are afraid, and we are concerned about the potential for escalation. We have said that, in the Middle East. We have been very clear, and we have also said that the way forward is a diplomatic solution,” spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters, as reported by Anadolu, Friday (20/9).
The comments come amid a new wave of escalation between Israel and Hezbollah after a series of sabotaged communications devices exploded across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday (18/9).
Many of the devices, including pagers and walkie-talkies, are used by members of Hezbollah, which operates as a paramilitary and political group with extensive social services in Lebanon.
The blast killed militants and civilians, including two children. The death toll reached 37 and nearly 3,000 were injured.
“Children being hurt, people being hurt, it’s hard to see, and it’s not something we want to see,” Jean-Pierre said. He has repeatedly declined to comment further on the attack.
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No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the Lebanese government and Hezbollah have blamed Israel.
Hezbollah and Israel have been locked in cross-border exchanges of fire for months as the Lebanese group says it is seeking to increase pressure on Israel to end its war on the besieged Gaza Strip, in which more than 41,000 people have been killed.
Separately on Thursday, the Israeli military launched two waves of airstrikes on cities in southern Lebanon, marking the most intense offensive in Lebanon in recent years. Hezbollah, in turn, launched 16 strikes on military and residential targets in northern Israel by 6:30 p.m. local time, marking one of its largest attacks in terms of scope.
On Thursday, two Israeli soldiers, including an officer, were killed and another wounded in attacks on the northern border. According to an Israeli military statement, officer Nael Fwarsy was killed by a drone in the western Galilee, while soldier Tomer Keren was killed by an anti-tank missile attack on Mount Rameh in the upper Galilee region. (I-2)
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