The US State Department spokesperson Miller said that the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was “ultimately good for the country” and the US certainly doesn’t want to see any civilians harmed.
He repeats his earlier comments that military pressure can “enable diplomacy” but it can also lead to “unintended consequences” and “miscalculations”, he says.
Spokesperson Matthew Miller says he’ll leave it to Israel to speak about its military operations, adding that “we’ve been engaged in conversations” with Israel about its operations.
Millers says Israel has told the US about “limited operations” near its border with Lebanon.
We’re going to continue to engage with Israel to try to de-escalate tensions, he says, but adds that Israel is a sovereign country “that is going to make these decisions for itself”.
The US State Department spokesperson is asked if a 21-day ceasefire is the focus of diplomatic efforts.
Matthew Miller confirms it is the focus of America’s efforts, adding that it’s linked to a “broader diplomatic resolution”.
He’s then asked if the view is that it’s productive for Israel to continue its military campaign while carrying out diplomatic talks.
“We recognise that at times military pressure can enable diplomacy, it is also true that military pressure can lead to miscalculation, it can lead to unintended consequences.”
“These are decisions that they have to make,” he adds.
