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An all-out war between Hezbollah and Israel would be “catastrophic” for Lebanon, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday.
Mr Austin said Washington is urgently seeking a diplomatic agreement that will allow Israeli and Lebanese civilians to return to their homes.
Fears of a war between Hezbollah and Israel have soared in recent weeks amid a rise in retaliatory shelling across Israel's northern border, leading to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in Lebanon and Israel.
“Hezbollah's provocations threaten to drag the Israeli and Lebanese people into a war that they do not want,” Mr Austin said as he welcomed Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant to the Pentagon.
"Such a war would be a catastrophe for Lebanon and it would be devastating for innocent Israeli and Lebanese civilians.
“Diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent more escalation. So we're urgently seeking a diplomatic agreement that restores lasting calm to Israel's northern border and enables civilians to return safely to their homes on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border.”
Mr Gallant, who earlier met Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said Israel is determined to establish security along its northern border.
But, he warned, “we must also discuss readiness for every possible scenario".
Mr Gallant said Iran, which supports Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, is the world's “greatest threat”.
“Now is the time to materialise the commitment of American administrations over the years: The promise to prevent Iran from possessing nuclear weapons,” he told Mr Austin.
Pentagon spokesman Maj Gen Pat Ryder repeated that diplomacy is the best way to prevent tension between Hezbollah and Israel from escalating into a full-blown war.
“No one wins if there's a broader regional conflict,” he told reporters.
When asked if the US would continue to support Israel in the event of a war with Hezbollah, Maj Gen Ryder said the Pentagon's commitment to Israel and its ability to defend itself is “ironclad”.
“But when it comes to the tensions along the border, when it comes to the broader region, we don't want to see a broader regional conflict,” he said.
“So that will continue to be a primary focus of this department and of this government.”
Tour with Unifil of Lebanon-Israel border – in pictures
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh12 million
Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto
Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm
Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The Bio
Favourite Emirati dish: I have so many because it has a lot of herbs and vegetables. Harees (oats with chicken) is one of them
Favourite place to go to: Dubai Mall because it has lots of sports shops.
Her motivation: My performance because I know that whatever I do, if I put the effort in, I’ll get results
During her free time: I like to drink coffee - a latte no sugar and no flavours. I do not like cold drinks
Pet peeve: That with every meal they give you a fries and Pepsi. That is so unhealthy
Advice to anyone who wants to be an ironman: Go for the goal. If you are consistent, you will get there. With the first one, it might not be what they want but they should start and just do it
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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Men’s singles
Group A: Son Wan-ho (Kor), Lee Chong Wei (Mas), Ng Long Angus (HK), Chen Long (Chn)
Group B: Kidambi Srikanth (Ind), Shi Yugi (Chn), Chou Tien Chen (Tpe), Viktor Axelsen (Den)
Women’s Singles
Group A: Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn), Pusarla Sindhu (Ind), Sayaka Sato (Jpn), He Bingjiao (Chn)
Group B: Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe), Sung Hi-hyun (Kor), Ratchanok Intanon (Tha), Chen Yufei (Chn)
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
England v South Africa Test series:
First Test: at Lord's, England won by 211 runs
Second Test: at Trent Bridge, South Africa won by 340 runs
Third Test: at The Oval, July 27-31
Fourth Test: at Old Trafford, August 4-8
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
more from Janine di Giovanni
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
'Jurassic%20World%20Dominion'
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
