THE United States cautioned Israel today against escalating its conflict with Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government considers how to respond to a rocket attack that killed 12 youths in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights at the weekend.

The incident further increased concerns about a wider regional war, even though Hezbollah denied involvement.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Israeli President Isaac Herzog today and “emphasised the importance of preventing escalation of the conflict and discussed efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to allow citizens on both sides of the border between Israel and Lebanon to return home,” the State Department said.