The United States does not want to see tensions rise further between Israel and Hezbollah, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday, adding that Israel had assured Washington it wants a diplomatic solution.

Speaking at a daily news briefing, department spokesperson Matthew Miller said tens of thousands of Israelis in the north faced a real security threat which needed to be addressed and Washington was pursuing a diplomatic path to resolve the issue.

"We do not want to see either side escalate the conflict in the north and in fact," Miller said.

"The government of Israel has said publicly and they have assured us privately that they want to achieve a diplomatic path. And so that's what we're going to continue to pursue, and ultimately that would make military action unnecessary."

His comments came after Hezbollah said it had launched a volley of rockets at an Israeli aerial surveillance base on Tuesday in response to the Israeli military's deepest attack yet into Lebanese territory. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the rockets.

Hezbollah has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israel across Lebanon's southern border since Oct. 8, a day after a bloody Hamas assault in southern Israel that triggered a fierce Israeli land, air and sea offensive on the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday that Israel planned to increase attacks on Hezbollah in the event of a possible ceasefire in Gaza "until the full withdrawal of Hezbollah" from the border.

"While we saw the defense minister's comments, we have also taken note that repeatedly, the defense minister and other officials of the government of Israel, including the prime minister, have said publicly that they would prefer the situation to be resolved diplomatically," Miller added.

Israeli strikes since October have killed some 50 civilians in Lebanon, in addition to some 200 Hezbollah fighters.

Israel Strikes Deep Inside Lebanon After Hezbollah Takes Out Drone

Israeli fighter jets on Monday carried out strikes in eastern Lebanon for the first time since its conflict with Hezbollah dramatically escalated amid the parallel war in Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it hit Hezbollah air defenses in the Bekaa Valley in response to an Israeli Hermes-450 drone being shot down by a surface-to-air missile earlier in the day. At least two Hezbollah militants were killed in the reprisal strikes, Lebanese sources told Reuters.

The Israeli strikes represent the deepest attacks inside Lebanese territory since Hezbollah began exchanging fire with troops across Israel’s northern border after the Gaza war began. Targets were hit near Baalbek, a city known for its ancient ruins not far from the Syrian border, as simultaneous strikes were reportedly launched.

Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah politician, said in televised comments that Israel’s “aggression on Baalbek or any other areas will not remain without response.” Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV reported that a car in southern Lebanon had also been hit by another Israeli strike, with a security source claiming that at least one person had died.

“The IDF will continue operating to defend the State of Israel from the threat of Hezbollah terrorist organization, including in aerial operations above Lebanese territory,” the Israeli military said in a statement.

Hezbollah claimed it had successfully shot down the Israeli drone over southern Lebanon. Another missile launched at the drone by the Iran-aligned group was intercepted by Israel, according to Al Jazeera, with the wreckage falling close to a synagogue in a town near Nazareth in the north of Israel. No one was injured and no damage was caused.

Since the cross-border skirmishes began, around 50 civilians have died in Lebanon along with an estimated 200 Hezbollah militants. Five civilians and around a dozen Israeli soldiers have died on the southern side of the border.

The violence began when Israel launched its war in Gaza in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attacks which, according to Israeli figures, left 1,200 people dead. Almost 30,000 people have been killed in Gaza during the conflict, according to Palestinian health officials, while nearly 2 million residents have been displaced.