Washington, July 31 (FN Agency) The United States will stand by Israel if Lebanon’s Hezbollah launches a full-scale war against the Jewish state, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday, adding that he hoped that the tensions could be addressed in a “diplomatic fashion.” “If Israel is attacked, yes, we will help Israel defend itself,” Austin said when asked whether the US was prepared to defend Israel if a full-scale war broke out between Israel and the Lebanese Shia movement. The defence secretary said that the US would like to see “things resolved in a diplomatic fashion.” He denied that a full-fledged conflict between Israel and Hezbollah was “inevitable or imminent.” “I don’t believe that.
While we’ve seen a lot of activity on Israel’s northern border, we remain concerned about the potential of this escalating into a full-blown fight. I don’t believe that a fight is inevitable,” Austin said.Austin spoke in Manila, where he and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo for 2+2 ministerial talks. The situation on the Israeli-Lebanese border worsened after the start of Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip in October 2023. The Israeli army and Hezbollah fighters exchange fire almost daily in areas along the border. Israel blamed Hezbollah for a deadly rocket strike on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday, a claim denied by Hezbollah.