Israeli defense minister confirmed desire for diplomatic resolution to tensions with Hezbollah: US

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant "confirmed" Tel Aviv's desire to reach a diplomatic resolution to ongoing tensions with Hezbollah, the State Department said Tuesday amid mounting concerns over a looming all-out war.

Spokesperson Matthew Miller maintained that Washington believes a diplomatic resolution "is possible," and "is in the interest of all parties."

"Minister Galant confirmed to the secretary yesterday that that is Israel's preferred outcome, that they would prefer a diplomatic resolution to the situation in the north of Israel, across the border," he told reporters.

"And so we're going to continue to pursue that, because it's in the interest of all the parties involved, and most importantly, in the interest of the tens of thousands of Israeli Lebanese families who have been displaced from their homes, and want to be able to return home," he added.

Asked if that opinion is shared across the Israeli government, Miller said there is a "broad spectrum of actors inside the Israeli government."

"I certainly wouldn't want to speak for all of them," he added.

Tensions have soared along Lebanon's border with Israel amid cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israeli forces as Tel Aviv pressed ahead with its sweeping offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 37,700 people since Oct. 7.

Amid the hostilities along Israel's northern border, more than 62,000 Israelis have been evacuated from settlements in the north, while 90,000 Lebanese have fled border areas, according to official figures from both sides.

On Thursday, Shaul Goldstein, CEO of Israel's state-owned electricity company Noga, warned that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah could easily cripple Israel's power grid in the event of a full-blown war.