US Envoy: Avoiding Expansion of War in Southern Lebanon is Possible

United States (US) envoy Amos Hochstein stated Wednesday that war between the Israeli entity and Lebanon can be avoided and a diplomatic solution can be resorted to prevent escalation in southern Lebanon. Following a meeting with the Lebanese Parliament's Speaker Nabih Berri, Hochstein said that they continue to believe that a diplomatic resolution is achievable because they continue to believe that no one truly wants a full-scale war between Lebanon and Israel, referring to the tripartite efforts to cease fire in Gaza which represent great importance in preventing the expansion of the conflict in the Middle East especially in southern Lebanon. The US envoy added that he and Berri agreed there is no more time to waste and there are no more valid excuses from any party for any further delay and called on all sides to calm down and prevent further security deterioration. Hochstein also met with the Prime Minister of Lebanon's Caretaker Government Najib Mikati as well as Lebanon's Caretaker Minister of Foreig n Affairs and Emigrants Abdallah Bou Habib where they discussed the ongoing Israeli escalation in southern Lebanon and the authorities' call on the international community to intervene to stop the aggression on its territory and prevent the outbreak of a large-scale war in the Middle East. The US envoy had arrived in Lebanon earlier Wednesday as part of the US's efforts to prevent the worsening of the situation in the Middle East. Source: Qatar News Agency