US vows support for Israel amid rising Middle East tensions

- The USA will help Israel if it is attacked, declared Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin. This statement comes after the elimination of the Hamas leader and the killing of the main military commander of Hezbollah. Austin added that the USA "is seeking to de-escalate tensions in the region."

Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin declared on Wednesday that the USA will help Israel if it is attacked. He also expressed his belief that "war in the Middle East is not inevitable," and assured that "the United States is seeking to de-escalate tensions in the region."

On Wednesday, the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas announced that its chief, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in a "Zionist" airstrike on his residence in Tehran.

I do not think that war is inevitable. That's my stance. In my opinion, there is always room for diplomacy, said Austin to reporters during his visit to the Philippines.

Asked how the United States can assist in case of a broader conflict erupting in the Middle East, the Pentagon chief stated that "the USA will help Israel in case of an attack, but their priority is to reduce tension in the region."

We do not want that (attack) to happen. We will work towards de-escalation and solving problems through diplomatic talks, he announced.

The death of the Hamas leader occurred a few hours after an Israeli retaliatory strike on Hezbollah. In the air raid on the capital of Lebanon, Beirut, the main military commander of the organization, Fuad Shukr, was killed.

The attack was a response to Saturday's shelling of the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, in which 12 children and teenagers were killed. Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, Hezbollah has been attacking Israel to help Hamas. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are also supported by Iran.