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Iran-backed Hezbollah has been trading fire with Israel for the
last eight months in parallel with the Gaza war. Last week, the
group fired the largest volleys of rockets and drones of the
hostilities so far at Israeli military sites, after an Israeli
strike killed the most senior commander yet.
Hochstein, special envoy to U.S. President Joe Biden, said he
had been dispatched to Lebanon immediately following a brief
trip to Israel because the situation was "serious".
"We have seen an escalation over the last few weeks. And what
President Biden wants to do is avoid a further escalation to a
greater war," Hochstein said on Tuesday.
He had met with the head of Lebanon's army earlier on Tuesday
morning and spoke to reporters following a meeting with
parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who heads the armed Amal
movement, which is allied to Hezbollah and has also fired
rockets on Israel in recent months.
The U.S. and France are engaged in diplomatic efforts to secure
a negotiated end to the hostilities along Lebanon's border.
Hezbollah says it will not halt its attacks unless there is a
ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Hochstein on Tuesday urged Hamas to accept a U.S.-backed
proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, which he said "also provides
an opportunity to end the conflict across the Blue Line", a
reference to a demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel where
parts of the international border are disputed.
Hochstein is also set to meet caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister
Najib Mikati on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Maya Gebeily; Editing by Alex Richardson and Peter
Graff)
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