Lebanon fearful of recent escalation, government officials say - report

The Lebanese government is "intensifying" "communications to prevent the expansion of the war," Lebanese officials told the London-based Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on Monday. 

"Lebanon remains committed to its position of rejecting war and has no intention of entering it," the officials added, noting their concern in the recent escalation. 

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed and a source at UNIFIL spoke of the need to reach an agreement via diplomacy. "We still believe that a diplomatic solution remains possible to avoid war, and all parties must recognize the seriousness of the situation."

A Hezbollah parliamentary official told the newspaper that the terror group excludes "the scenario of a full-scale war," claiming Israel could not wage "a wide war" against it. 

The terror group's official also said Hezbollah views Israel's recent actions solely as "pressure" and verbal exaggeration. 

The report comes amid a rise in tensions in Israel's cross-border conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

'Possibility for agreement in the North is running out'

Overnight, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told his American counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, that the possibility for an agreement in the North was passing, adding that Hezbollah continues to "tie itself" to Hamas. 

He further affirmed Israel was committed to returning the evacuated residents to their homes in the communities in northern Israel. 

On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said ahead of his meeting with President Biden's senior advisor, Amos Hochstein, that the situation in the North “cannot continue." Instead, he said Israel requires “a change in the balance of forces on our northern border.”

Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.