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[Text/Observer Network Wang Kaiwen] With the attack on the Golan Heights and the Israeli Security Cabinet authorizing retaliation, tensions between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah have escalated sharply in recent days, triggering strong concerns from the outside world about the escalation of conflict and even the outbreak of a full-scale war.

Reuters quoted five people familiar with the matter on July 29 as saying that the United States is leading a diplomatic campaign to prevent Israel from attacking the Lebanese capital Beirut or major civilian infrastructure, and strive to avoid an all-out war between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah.

On July 27, local time, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights was attacked by rockets. The rockets hit a football field in the northern Golan Heights, killing 12 people. The victims were between the ages of 10 and 20.

After the attack, Hezbollah issued a statement saying that it had "absolutely nothing to do with this incident". Israel insisted that the attack was "carried out by the Hezbollah terrorist organization". Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu warned that the Hezbollah in Lebanon would pay an "unprecedented heavy price" for this.

On July 28, local time, the Israeli Security Cabinet authorized Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Galant to take military strikes against the Lebanese Hezbollah.

The five sources cited by Reuters include Lebanese and Iranian officials, as well as Middle Eastern and European diplomats, who have either taken part in the talks or been briefed on them over the past few days.

The sources said the high-speed U.S. diplomatic effort was focused on constraining Israel's response, urging Israel not to target densely populated Beirut, the southern suburbs of Beirut that are the stronghold of Lebanon's Hezbollah, and key infrastructure such as airports and bridges.

Elias Bou Saab, deputy speaker of the Lebanese parliament, told Reuters that he has been in contact with Amos Hochstein, a US mediator and senior adviser to Biden, since the attack on the Golan Heights on the 27th. Saab said that Israel could avoid a serious escalation of the situation by not harming Beirut and surrounding areas. "If they avoid civilians and avoid Beirut and its suburbs, then their attack may be well-thought-out."

The sources said Israel had not yet committed to refrain from attacking Beirut, its suburbs or civilian infrastructure.

According to the New York Times, Netanyahu visited the attack site on July 29 local time and declared that "our response is coming, and it will be very severe."

Reuters quoted two Israeli officials on the 30th as saying that they hope to strike Hezbollah in Lebanon, but do not want to drag the region into a full-scale war. "(Israel's) response is not expected to trigger a full-scale war." An Israeli diplomat said, "At this time, this is not in our interest."

Sources said that Israeli drones attacked southern Lebanon on the 29th, killing two Hezbollah soldiers and three others, including a baby. This was the first death in Lebanon since the attack on the Golan Heights on the 27th. According to the Israeli military, its air defense forces shot down a drone that flew from Lebanon into the Western Galilee on the 29th.

Since October 7 last year, forces led by Lebanon's Hezbollah have attacked Israeli communities and military outposts along the border almost every day. Hezbollah said the move was to support the people of Gaza during the Gaza War. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) said that although Israel and Hezbollah often exchange fire and both sides suffer casualties, since October last year, both sides have avoided taking actions that could escalate into a wider war in southern Lebanon.

However, Reuters now believes that the attack on the football stadium has greatly increased tensions in the hostilities that coexist with the Gaza war and raised concerns about the outbreak of a full-scale conflict between these regional rivals.

After the Golan Heights attack, the United States also blamed Hezbollah in Lebanon and reiterated its support for Israel. Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, issued a statement on Sunday condemning the attack by Hezbollah in Lebanon and saying that the United States "stands firm in its support for Israel's security and firmly opposes all Iranian-backed threats, including Hezbollah."

On the other hand, US Secretary of State Blinken stressed the importance of preventing the escalation of the conflict in a phone call with Israeli President Herzog on the 29th. John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, also said that the Golan Heights incident should not affect the ongoing negotiations on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.

Iranian sources told Reuters that the United States has sent messages to Tehran at least three times since July 27, warning that "an escalation of the situation will be detrimental to all parties."

A French diplomat said Paris has also been passing messages between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon since the Golan Heights attack to de-escalate the situation. France has maintained close ties with Lebanon, which was under French mandate from 1920 until independence in 1943.

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