By Trevor Hunnicutt
WILMINGTON, Del. (Reuters) – U.S. Nationwide Safety Adviser Jake Sullivan on Saturday mentioned he was frightened about escalation between Israel and Lebanon however that the Israeli killing of a high Hezbollah chief introduced justice to the Iran-backed group.
Sullivan, talking with reporters in Wilmington, Delaware, mentioned he nonetheless sees a path to a ceasefire in Gaza however that the U.S. is “not at a point right now where we’re prepared to put something on the table.”
Sullivan mentioned the U.S. is constant to work with Qatar and Egypt as the 2 international locations speak with Hamas, however that Washington, because it talks with Israel, is just not ready to suggest a deal that may very well be accepted by each events.
“Could that change over the course of the coming days? It could,” Sullivan mentioned.
Hezbollah in a single day mentioned 16 of its members together with senior chief Ibrahim Aqil and one other high commander, Ahmed Wahbi, had been among the many 37 people who Lebanon’s well being ministry mentioned had been killed in an Israeli airstrike in a Beirut suburb on Friday.
The Israeli airstrike, which the Lebanese well being ministry mentioned killed three youngsters and 7 girls, was the deadliest in its battle with Hezbollah since Oct. 8, when the group started firing rockets into Israel in sympathy with Palestinians within the practically year-old Israeli conflict towards Hamas in Gaza.
Sullivan mentioned the Friday strike served justice to Aqil, who was wished by the U.S. for 2 1983 Beirut truck bombings that killed greater than 300 individuals on the American embassy and a U.S. Marines barracks.
“Any time a terrorist who has murdered Americans is brought to justice, we believe that that is a good outcome.”
Sullivan said the risk of further escalation is “acute,” following the Israeli strike in addition to the detonation of pagers and walkie-talkies throughout Lebanon this month that killed a minimum of 39 and injured roughly 3,000. These assaults had been extensively believed to have been carried out by Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.
“While the risk of escalation is real, we actually believe there is also a distinct avenue to getting to a cessation of hostilities and a durable solution that makes people on both sides of the border feel secure,” Sullivan mentioned.
An Israeli airstrike on a college sheltering displaced individuals in southern Gaza Metropolis on Saturday killed a minimum of 22 individuals together with 13 youngsters and 6 girls, Gaza’s well being ministry mentioned. Israel mentioned it was focusing on a Hamas command heart it mentioned was embedded within the faculty.
