US continues to support diplomacy along Blue Line: State Department

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US will continue to support diplomacy to avoid escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, the State Department said Tuesday.

"We have been in continuous discussions with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts since the incident over the weekend, and the United States is going to continue to support efforts to reach a diplomatic solution along the Blue Line," deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters. The Blue Line demarcates Israel form Lebanon and the Golan Heights,

His remarks came after Israel said it carried out a strike in Beirut on Tuesday against the Lebanese group’s commander it said was responsible for a strike in the town of Druze in Majdal Shams in Israel-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 children Saturday.

"We're continuing to work toward a diplomatic resolution that would allow Israeli and Lebanese civilians to return to their homes and live in peace and security. We certainly want to avoid any kind of escalation, and that is exactly why we continue to remain so deeply focused on diplomacy," said Patel.

Stressing that diplomacy is "the best path forward," he added: "We think that is the best way right now to calm tensions along the Blue Line and to create conditions that will allow civilians to return home."