MOSCOW (Sputnik) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has assured Israel that the US will support preemptive strikes against Lebanese movement Hezbollah amid signs that Israel was preparing to attack the group’s positions last week, The New York Times reported on Friday, citing a senior US official who requested anonymity.

At the same time, Blinken warned Israel that it should not use preemptive strikes as a pretext for a broader offensive against the Lebanese movement, the newspaper reported.

On Sunday, Israel and Hezbollah exchanged rocket fire. Hezbollah said it had fired over 320 rockets and dozens of drones toward Israel in retaliation for the killing of senior commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut in July.

The situation on the Israeli-Lebanese border escalated after the start of Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip in October 2023. The Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah have been repeatedly conducting attacks on each other’s positions in areas along the border.