Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday that Israel would prefer a diplomatic resolution to the conflict with Lebanon's Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Tuesday.
Shelling on Israel's northern border has led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from areas on both sides of the border, and has escalated in recent weeks, leading to fears of an all-out conflict.