The US is continuing to “work tirelessly” to secure a Gaza cease-fire and a hostage-prisoner exchange deal after intense cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah overnight, an official said on Sunday.
“A cease-fire in Gaza could also help reduce tensions along the Blue Line, the border between southern Lebanon and northern Israel, and create conditions for displaced Lebanese civilians to return home in the south and for Israeli civilians to return home in the north,” a State Department spokesperson told Anadolu in response to a question about the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah tensions.
The spokesperson noted that the US is closely “tracking” developments in Israel and Lebanon, maintaining communication with Israeli counterparts and regional partners.
“Our commitment to Israel’s security is firm and unwavering in the face of all Iran-backed threats, including Hezbollah. Our embassies in both Israel and Lebanon are operating as usual and are ready to assist any American citizens and their families in need,” the spokesperson added, using an alternate spelling for “Hezbollah.”
Hezbollah announced on Sunday that it had launched hundreds of rockets and drones deep into Israel overnight, marking the “first phase” of its response to the assassination of its senior commander, Fuad Shukr, late last month in Beirut.
This announcement followed large-scale Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon, which Israel claimed were aimed at preventing a Hezbollah attack.
Hezbollah dismissed Israel’s claims of “preemptive strikes” as “empty” and disconnected from the actual situation on the ground. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was scheduled to deliver a speech later on Sunday to address the ongoing situation.
Meanwhile, Gaza cease-fire talks in Cairo concluded on Sunday without reaching an agreement, with the Palestinian group Hamas insisting that Israel adhere to the terms agreed upon on July 2, in line with a proposal by US President Joe Biden on May 31 and a UN Security Council resolution.
Despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued its military offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on October 7.
This offensive has resulted in over 40,400 Palestinian deaths, primarily women and children, and more than 93,000 injuries, according to local health authorities.
The ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, leaving much of the region devastated.
Israel faces genocide accusations 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.
