US Senators Say De-escalation of Hezbollah-Israel War is 'Urgent'

(Patria) - The Israeli army and Hezbollah have room to de-escalate tensions along Lebanon's southern border before a possible Israeli military offensive against the Lebanese group, two Democratic US senators said.

Senators Chris Coons and Richard Blumenthal met with Lebanese officials during a tour of the region, which has been affected by conflict since Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, to which Israel responded with a heavy air, land, and sea assault on Gaza, Reuters reports.

Nearly 190 Hezbollah fighters and 50 civilians have been killed in Israeli shelling in Lebanon. A dozen Israeli soldiers and five Israeli civilians have been killed in northern Israel, and tens of thousands have been displaced on each side.

"The next few weeks are pivotal for Gaza, for Israel, for Lebanon, for the Red Sea, for Iraq," Coons said, adding that a ceasefire for Gaza could have "positive consequences" for Lebanon.

"It could create that 45-day window, very likely during Ramadan, when the next steps can be taken to begin building the trust that could lead to the full implementation of (United Nations Security Council) Resolution 1701," he said.

That 2006 resolution ended a major conflict between Hezbollah and Israel and states that no armed faction other than the Lebanese army should be present in southern Lebanon.

France submitted a written proposal to Lebanon earlier this month regarding a possible diplomatic resolution. US envoy Amos Hochstein has also been working on a plan, which Coons said he hopes is "making steady progress," without providing further details.

He said there is "urgency" for de-escalation from both sides.

The senators said they told Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who heads the Amal movement, an ally of Hezbollah, that Israel "is not bluffing" about an offensive.

"It's not just rhetoric. They will act. And we hope that message has been conveyed to Hezbollah," Blumenthal said.