Amos Hochstein says US seeks to avoid wider war amid conflict on Lebanon-Israel border

US envoy arrives in Beirut talks with Lebanese officials after meeting senior Israeli opposition figure

Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza

The US is working to avoid a "greater war" in the Middle East as tensions increase between Hezbollah and Israel, Washington's envoy Amos Hochstein said as he arrived in Beirut on Tuesday for talks with senior Lebanese officials.

Mr Hochstein said he was sent to the region by US President Joe Biden to help tackle the crisis on the Lebanon-Israel border, where Hezbollah and the Israeli military have exchanged regular fire since the outbreak of the Gaza war.

Mr Hochstein met Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Tuesday after talks with Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri, who has close ties with Hezbollah. The US envoy played a key role in mediating a maritime border deal between Israel and Lebanon in 2022. He also met Lebanese military commander Gen Joseph Aoun.

"We discussed the current security and political situation in Lebanon, as well as the deal on the table right now with respect to Gaza, which also provides an opportunity to end the conflict across the Blue Line," Mr Hochstein said after talks with Mr Berri, referring to the UN-demarcated border between Israel and Lebanon, after talks with Mr Berri.

Mr Hochstein said the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah "has gone on for long enough".

"It's in everyone's interest to resolve it quickly and diplomatically. That is both achievable and it is urgent," he added.

The US envoy visited Israel on Monday and met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, opposition leader Yair Lapid and senior opposition figure Benny Gantz.

Mr Gantz, a former army chief who quit Israel's war cabinet this month, told Mr Hochstein that "time is running out" for a deal to restore calm on Israel's northern border with Lebanon.

"I emphasised my commitment to removing the threat Hezbollah poses to the citizens of northern Israel, regardless of developments on the war in Gaza, and will support any responsible and effective political or military decision on the matter from outside the government," Mr Gantz said on X.

He called for "an internationally mediated arrangement" on the northern border.

Later in the day, Hezbollah released a video that appeared to show surveillance drone footage of Haifa and other parts of northern Israel.

Haifa, one of Israel's major cities, is 27km from the border.

In response to the video, Israel's Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, said that Israel would "destroy" Hezbollah in a war.

"We are very close to the moment when we will decide to change the rules of the game against Hezbollah and Lebanon," said Mr Katz.

"In a total war, Hezbollah will be destroyed and Lebanon will be hit hard."

Tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced on either side of the border amid the violence. The Iran-backed group says it is carrying out attacks in support of its ally Hamas in the Gaza Strip, where more than 37,300 people have been killed in Israel's assault on the enclave.

Mr Hochstein is on his fourth round of shuttle diplomacy in the region since October 7, when Hamas launched the attack on southern Israel that led to the war. About 1,200 were killed in the assault.

Some Israeli officials have repeatedly called for an operation into southern Lebanon that would remove the threat posed by Hezbollah, which is far stronger and better armed than Hamas.

About 300 Hezbollah members have been killed by Israeli fire since October. The group says it does not want a full-scale war, but is ready for one.

The Israeli military says 18 soldiers and 10 civilians have been killed in the violence.

The two countries do not have diplomatic relations and are technically in a state of war with each other.