White House is 'afraid' of escalation in Middle East tensions

WASHINGTON

The US is "afraid" of further escalation in Middle East tensions, the White House said Thursday after a spate of bombings rocked Lebanon for two straight days, killing at least 37 people and maiming thousands.

"We are concerned about the tension, and afraid, and concerned about potential escalation. We have said that, in the Middle East. We've been very clear, and we've also said that the way to move forward is diplomatic resolution," spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.

The comments come amid a new wave of escalation between Israel and Hezbollah after a series of sabotaged communications devices exploded across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Many of the devices, which included pagers and walkie-talkies, were used by members of Hezbollah, which operates as a paramilitary and political group with vast social services in Lebanon.

The explosions killed militants and civilians, including two children. The death toll stands at 37 with nearly 3,000 injured.

"Children being harmed, people being harmed, it's difficult to see, and not something that we want to see," said Jean-Pierre. She repeatedly declined to comment further on the attacks.

No party has claimed responsibility for the bombings, but the Lebanese government and Hezbollah have laid the blame squarely on Israel.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaging in cross-border fire for months as the Lebanese group said it is seeking to mount pressure on Israel to end its war on the besieged Gaza Strip where over 41,000 people have been killed.

Separately Thursday, the Israeli military launched two waves of airstrikes on towns in southern Lebanon, marking the most intense strikes in weeks. Hezbollah, in turn, launched 16 attacks on military targets and settlements in northern Israel by 1830 GMT, marking one of its largest attacks in terms of scope.

Also Thursday, two Israeli troops, including an officer, were killed and another was injured in attacks on the northern border. According to an Israeli army statement, officer Nael Fwarsy was killed by a drone in western Galilee, while soldier Tomer Keren was killed by an anti-tank missile strike in Mount Rameh in the upper Galilee region.