ISTANBUL 

The US and Qatar are working intensely to reach a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Lebanon, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.

“We're working intensely to reach a diplomatic resolution, one that sees the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and as a result allow civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes and to be able to live there in peace and security,” Blinken said at a press conference in Doha with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

The chief US diplomat called on Israel to take “the necessary steps to avoid civilian casualties and not endanger UN peacekeepers forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) or the Lebanese Armed Forces.”

“We're working with other partners to provide the Lebanese Armed Forces with the resources they need so that they can take greater responsibility for security throughout Lebanon and make sure that Lebanon can reassert its sovereignty,” he added.

Blinken arrived in Doha early Thursday on the third leg of a regional tour to push for a cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon. He already visited Israel and Saudi Arabia as part of the tour.

Regional tensions have escalated due to Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 42,800 people, mostly women and children, following a Hamas attack last year.

The conflict has spread to Lebanon, with Israel launching deadly strikes across the country in an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare between Israel and the group since the start of the Gaza war.