US calls for ‘diplomatic pathway’

WASHINGTON: The Middle East remains on high alert for further escalation, awaiting Israel’s response to an Iranian missile barrage on Oct. 1, which was in retaliation for Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Syed Hassan Nasrallah in the Iranian capital Tehran.
U.S. officials believe Israel has narrowed down targets to military and energy infrastructure, NBC reported on Saturday.
There is no indication that Israel will target nuclear facilities or carry out assassinations, the report said citing unidentified U.S. officials, adding that Israel has not made final decisions about how and when to act.
U.S. and Israeli officials said a response could come during the current Jewish Yom Kippur holiday, NBC reported.
In a sign of a spreading conflict, a Syrian security source said the U.S.-led coalition in Syria had targeted Iran-linked sites near northeastern Syria’s Deir el-Zor airport on Friday night.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq said in a statement on Sunday that it had targeted a military site in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights with drones as part of its support of the Palestinian people and Lebanon. It said it would continue escalating attacks against Israeli strongholds.
The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Saturday that a third peacekeeper was wounded in an Israeli strike when he was hit by gunfire on Friday, adding that the man was stable after undergoing surgery to remove the bullet.
The UNIFIL statement also said its position in the southern Lebanese town of Ramyah sustained significant damage due to explosions following nearby shelling, but did not specify who was responsible for either attack.
Two U.N. peacekeepers were wounded by an Israeli strike near their watchtower at the UNIFIL’s main base in Naqoura in southern Lebanon on Friday. UNIFIL has more than 10,000 personnel, with Italy, France, Malaysia, Indonesia and India among the biggest contributors.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in a call with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, expressed “deep concern” about reports that Israeli forces had fired on U.N. peacekeeping positions in Lebanon in recent days and urged Israel to ensure safety for them and the Lebanese military, the Pentagon said.
Austin also “reinforced the need to pivot from military operations in Lebanon to a diplomatic pathway as soon as feasible,” according to the Pentagon statement.
Israel has rejected calls by the United States and other allies for a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza.
Agencies