US says it’s still working 'tirelessly' for Gaza cease-fire deal amid Israel-Hezbollah tensions

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US continues to "work tirelessly" to conclude a Gaza cease-fire and hostage-prisoner exchange deal after Israel and Hezbollah exchanged intense cross-border fire overnight, an official said Sunday.

"A cease-fire in Gaza could also help to reduce tensions along the Blue Line (that marks the frontier between south Lebanon and northern Israel), creating conditions for displaced Lebanese civilians to go home in the south and for Israeli civilians to go home in their north," a State Department spokesperson told Anadolu in response to a question about Israel-Hezbollah tensions.

The spokesperson said the US is "tracking" developments in Israel and Lebanon as they remain in touch with their Israeli counterparts and partners throughout the region.

"Our commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad and unwavering against all Iran-backed threats, including Hizballah. Our embassies in both Israel and Lebanon are maintaining their regular schedules and stand ready to assist any American citizens and their families in need of assistance," the spokesperson added, using an alternate spelling for "Hezbollah."

The Lebanese Hezbollah group announced Sunday that it had launched hundreds of rockets and drones deep into Israel overnight as part of the “first phase” of its response to Tel Aviv’s assassination of its senior commander, Fuad Shukr, late last month in the capital Beirut.

The announcement came shortly after the Israeli army attacked southern Lebanon with large-scale airstrikes, which it claimed were aimed at preventing Hezbollah from launching an attack.

Hezbollah called the Israeli claims of carrying out “preemptive strikes” "empty" and inconsistent with the actual situation on the ground. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was scheduled to deliver a speech later Sunday to address the situation.

Meanwhile, Gaza cease-fire talks in Cairo ended Sunday without an agreement, with the Palestinian group Hamas demanding Israel adhere to what was agreed upon on July 2, in accordance with a proposal by US President Joe Biden laid out on May 31 and a UN Security Council resolution.

​​​​​​​ Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The onslaught has resulted in over 40,400 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and over 93,000 injuries, according to local health authorities.

An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.