"I do not think that war is inevitable. I maintain that. I think there is always room and opportunity for diplomacy, and I'd like to see the parties pursue those opportunities," Austin told reporters during his visit to the Philippines.
Austin reiterated that, if Israel were attacked, "we certainly will help defend Israel. You saw us do that in April. You can expect to see us do that again."
"But we don't want to see any of that happen. We are going to work hard to make sure that we are doing things to help take the temperature down and address issued through diplomatic means," he added.
The Israeli army said last Saturday that 12 people had been killed in a rocket strike on the Golan Heights, which it blamed on Hezbollah. The Lebanese movement denied the claim. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hezbollah would pay a price "it has never paid before."
The situation on the Israeli-Lebanese border worsened after the start of Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip in October 2023. The Israeli army and Hezbollah fighters exchange fire almost daily in areas along the border.