A senior American official told Al Jazeera that talks between Israel and Lebanon are continuing according to the timetables that were set, and warned that the collapse of the talks would serve only the Hezbollah terror organization.
The official also stressed to Al Jazeera that the only path to achieving stable peace is through direct negotiations between the governments of Israel and Lebanon.
The official claimed that Hezbollah chose to continue its attacks against Israel even though it had been given the opportunity to cease fire, and stressed that Israel is acting within its right to self-defense. He also said that the United States views the current situation as a confrontation between Israel and a terrorist organization.
According to him, Hezbollah launched the confrontation in order to preserve its political standing and continues firing in order to perpetuate the "illusion of resistance" and justify its influence.
Meanwhile, Israel informed the United States in advance of its intention to expand operations in Lebanon.
According to a Channel 12 News report, the American message to Israel was to avoid strikes in Beirut and avoid bringing down buildings in the city.
At the same time, a senior Israeli official noted that approval exists for targeted eliminations in Beirut if an operational opportunity arises.