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Tensions have been increasing in southern Lebanon, with exchanges of shelling between Israel and Hezbollah intensifying.
Hezbollah says in its most recent offensive, it launched 62 rockets toward an air surveillance base on Mount Meron and scored direct hits, while the Israeli military says it struck the cell that fired the rockets.
Josep Borell is the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Speaking from Beirut, he has expressed concern that the Hamas war could spread across the region.
"Even war has laws and there are international humanitarian laws that has to be respected. As I said many times, one horror doesn't justify another. And we have to understand that only peace will bring safety and security to the Middle East."
The EU policy chief says Lebanon should avoid being drawn into the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
"This is the last thing that Lebanon needs. Already now, more than 70,000 civilians have already been displaced in Lebanon. 2000-Hundreds in northern Israel. Almost 50,000 olive trees has been burned in the border."
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also confronting fears that the Hamas conflict will spillover to surrounding regions.
In his fourth visit to the region, Blinken has said preventing a regional escalation is the primary focus of his meetings.
Matthew Miller is the spokesperson for the US State Department.
"He will discuss specific steps parties can take, including how they can use their influence with others in the region, to avoid escalation. It is in no one’s interest – not Israel’s, not the region’s, not the world’s – for this conflict to spread beyond Gaza."
Beyond his concerns about tensions escalating across the region, the EU foreign policy chief has his eye on the future.
He supports the two-state solution policy, which would see the land would be divided between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean into two independent, sovereign states.
“Gaza is an integral part of the territories occupied by Israel since 1967 and Gaza must be part of the future Palestinian state, the whole International community agrees in the two state solution as the only viable solution that could bring peace and security for Israel and Palestine.”
Antony Blinken is laying some of the groundwork for that potential future in his meetings.
He's held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Istanbul, which has covered not just the speeding up of humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza, but also plans for reconstruction and governance of post-war Gaza.
Mr Blinken says Turkiye has shown a commitment to play "a positive, productive role".
"I think they're also prepared as they as they happen to use the ties, the influence they have, the relationships they have with some of the critical players in some of the critical countries in the region to, um, do everything possible to de-escalate and to prevent the conflict from spreading. Turkey can play a vital role in doing that. That was a big part of our conversation. They clearly have a shared interest with us in doing just that and I'm confident from these conversations that they're going to make every, every possible effort."
The United Nations also sees the two state solution as the best way forward.
But spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay says that can't be properly addressed until the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dealt with, amid fears that civilians are facing the highest levels of food insecurity ever recorded, and famine is right around the corner.
"We and our partners continue to do all we can to meet the massive needs in Gaza. However, they say the current response is only meeting a fraction of people’s needs.. Really, what is important is really to work towards the two-state solution, to have first the humanitarian ceasefire, to try to find a way to address the immense and growing needs of the population there. To facilitate the aid of humanitarian delivery, to release all the hostages, and to resume work seriously towards a two-state solution."
