US officials are hoping that increased Israeli military pressure on Hezbollah will lead the Iran-backed terror group to agree to a diplomatic resolution, potentially allowing civilians on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border to return to their homes after nearly a year of cross-border conflict, according to a report by Axios.

The report notes that while US officials understand Israel’s strategy of “de-escalation through escalation,” they are concerned that this approach is a “delicate calibration” that could easily ignite an all-out war.

“One of the key messages was that we want to keep a path open to a diplomatic resolution and therefore don’t want the Israelis to take steps that will close such a path,” one US official told Axios.

Both US and Israeli officials said that the Biden administration has urged Israel to refrain from launching a ground invasion or conducting airstrikes in civilian areas – actions that could exacerbate the conflict and derail diplomatic efforts.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)