Golan Heights attack: Israel says it 'wants to hurt Hezbollah but...'
File photo.
Israeli officials said on Monday (July 29) that their country wants to hurt Hezbollah but not drag the Middle East into an all-out war,as Lebanon braced for retaliation after a rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights killed 12 people. Israel blamed Hezbollah for the strike but theIranian-backed Lebanese group denied any role.
Speaking to the news agency Reuters, the officials said that Israel was preparingfor the possibility of a few days of fighting following Saturday's strike. The officials gave no further details about the plans for retaliation.
Also read |Golan Heights attack: Lebanon's Beirut airport cancels flights amid fears of Israeli attack
An Israeli diplomatic source, meanwhile, told the news agency, "The estimation is that the response will not lead to an all-out war.That would not be in our interest at this point."
'Our response will be harsh'
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The remarks of the Israeli officials came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country's response (to the Golan Heights attack) would be harsh."The state of Israel will not and cannot let this pass," Prime Minister Netanyahu's office said in a statement on Monday.
Earlier, the Israeli security cabinetauthorised Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant to decide on the manner and timing of a response to Saturday's strike.
Both Israel and Hezbollahhave appeared at pains to avoid a full-scale war since they began trading blows in October following the outbreak of the Gaza war.Saturday's strike has increased concerns that the months of cross-border hostilities could spiral into a broader, more destructive war.
Reuters reported that an Israeli drone strike killed two Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon on Monday as well asthree other people including an infant. These were the first fatalities in Lebanonsince Saturday's incident.
Also on Monday, the Israeli military downeda drone that crossed from Lebanon into the Western Galilee area.
UN steps in to dial down tensions
The United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon said it had intensified contacts with Israeliand Lebanese authorities to dial down tensions.
"Nobody wants to start a wider conflict, but a miscalculation could trigger one. There is still space for a diplomatic solution," the peacekeeping mission's spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said.
US leading diplomatic dash to deter Israel from retaliating
The United States (US) has been leading a diplomatic dash to deter Israel from striking Lebanon's capital Beirut or major civil infrastructure, Reuters reported on Tuesday citing sources.
Also watch |Golan heights attack: Hezbollah denies Israeli allegations
The focus of the high-speed diplomacy has been to constrain Israel's response by urging it against targeting Beirut andkey infrastructure like airports and bridges.
While the US also blamed Hezbollah for the attack at Golan Heights,USSecretary of State Antony Blinken, in a phone call with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday, emphasised the importance of preventing the escalation of the conflict.
(With inputs from agencies)