JERUSALEM, Israel – INTRO: The U.S. is pushing for a diplomatic solution to the fighting between Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Israel before it turns into a full-blown war.
Israel’s Supreme Court ruling Tuesday concerning the drafting of ultra-Orthodox men could also pose problems for Netanyahu’s government.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Hezbollah that Washington can’t stop Israel from going to war to prevent the terror group’s daily attacks on the north.
“Hezbollah’s provocations threaten to drag the Israeli and Lebanese people into a war that they do not want,” Austin said Tuesday, “And such a war would be a catastrophe for Lebanon, and it would be devastating for innocent Israeli and Lebanese civilians.”
Still, Austin is urging Israel’s visiting Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to seek a diplomatic solution.
“Another war between Israel and Hezbollah could easily become a regional war, with terrible consequences for the Middle East. And so, diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent more escalation,” Austin stated.
Yoav Gallant says Israel is determined to establish security in the north and bring back some 80,000 citizens evacuated from their homes. He asked the U.S. to focus on heading off a larger threat: Iran getting nuclear weapons.
“The greatest threat to the
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