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The Pentagon has officially called for a de-escalation between Israel and Lebanon as attacks between Israeli forces and Hezbollah continue to escalate.

On Wednesday, the Pentagon expressed concern over rising tensions and revealed that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had raised the issue with his Israeli counterpart in a call on Tuesday. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said, “We don’t want to see a wider regional conflict, and we do want to see a de-escalation of tensions in the region.”

The escalation reached a peak when Hezbollah launched the highest number of rockets at Israel in a single day since cross-border hostilities began eight months ago. This occurred after an Israeli strike killed a senior Hezbollah field commander. It also follows warnings from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “Israel is prepared for a strong action in the northern part of the border with Lebanon.”

Responding to questions about the potential for war and the tools available to Austin to prevent further escalation, Singh noted that the US is observing increased activity in the north but aims to prevent it from escalating into a broader conflict.

More info on the strike:
The strike, which killed senior Hezbollah commander Taleb Abdullah, targeted the Nasr unit in southern Lebanon’s Jouaiyya. According to the Israeli government, Abdullah had led numerous attacks on northern Israel over the past eight months, focusing on Galilee and Golan Heights. The airstrike also killed three other Hezbollah operatives.