White House Urges Israel to Avoid Escalation Amid Tensions With Hezbollah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed retaliation for the rocket attack that killed children at a soccer field.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby speaks during a press conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on July 25, 2024. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The White House on July 29 urged Israel to avoid escalating tensions with the Lebanon-based Hezbollah terrorist group following a rocket attack that killed 12 children at a soccer field in the Golan Heights.

“Israel has every right to respond,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said during a call with reporters. “But nobody wants a broader war, and I’m confident that we'll be able to avoid such an outcome.”