ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The United States has “made clear” to the Israeli government that it opposes the recent bombing campaign in Beirut, according to a State Department spokesperson, stressing the need for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

“There are specific strikes that it would be appropriate for Israel to carry out, but when it comes to the scope and nature of the bombing campaign that we saw in Beirut over the past few weeks, it’s something that we made clear to the Government of Israel we had concerns with and we are opposed to,” Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the State Department, told reporters on Tuesday.

Miller stressed that Washington believes in Israel’s right to “attack and degrade” Hezbollah targets operating on the border with Lebanon, but ultimately wants to see a diplomatic solution and the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

The resolution, which was intended to resolve the 2006 Lebanon war, calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces in southern Lebanon as well as the disarmament of armed groups, including Hezbollah.

Over 2,350 people have been killed as a result of Israeli attacks on Lebanon and nearly 11,000 others wounded since October 2023, with the vast majority of that number occurring in the past few weeks. More than 1.2 million Lebanese have been displaced due to the Israeli aggression.

The spokesperson noted that the US has also conveyed “serious concern” to the Israeli government regarding the recent attack on a hospital tent camp in Gaza, reiterating the call for a ceasefire agreement which includes the release of hostages.

An Israeli strike on al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Gaza killed at least four people and injured 40 others on Monday. Videos circulated on social media depicted a large fire igniting due to the strike and footage of a young man burning to death while attached to an IV drip on a hospital bed.

“What happened in that strike was horrifying. We understand the very difficult environment in which Israel operates, but the results of that strike were deeply disturbing. We all saw that video and all know that it’s horrifying to see people burn to death. We have made clear our serious concerns about the matter directly to the Government of Israel,” said the spokesperson.

Over 42,000 people have been killed and nearly 100,000 others wounded in Gaza since Israel launched a full-scale military aggression in October 2023.

The UN Security Council has adopted several resolutions demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza or proposing a ceasefire plan to bring an end to the conflict. The UN Human Rights Council in April passed a resolution calling on states to cease the sale and shipment of weapons to Israel.

Israel has rejected all the initiatives, including a recent US-French proposal for a temporary truce in Lebanon.