Israeli escalation with Hezbollah will not yield de-escalation, State Department official says

The United States does not think Israeli escalation to force Hezbollah to reduce tensions will yield the desired outcome of de-escalation, a senior State Dept official said on Monday, effectively disagreeing with Israel's strategy.

The conflict is a key focus for Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this week, where Washington had concrete ideas to prevent a broader war and would seek an “off ramp” to the tensions, the official told reporters in New York.