17 June 2024

US Issues Warning on Israel-Lebanon Border

David Brennan

The United States has again urged de-escalation along Israel's northern border with Lebanon, which is under the control of the Iranian-aligned Hezbollah militia, amid a new spike in cross-frontier fighting.

This week saw Israel assassinate senior Hezbollah commander Taleb Sami Abdullah in an airstrike some six miles north of the shared border. Per an Associated Press report, Abdullah was responsible for one of the hottest portions of the frontier. His area of command included the area facing the Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, which has repeatedly been targeted by Hezbollah strikes.

"We are seeing an increase in activity in the north, and we don't want things to escalate into a broader regional conflict, and that's something that is not new," Singh told journalists at a press briefing.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant—who may end up the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant linked to IDF conduct inside Gaza—discussed the issue in a call this week, Singh said.

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