Israeli officials say they seek to avoid all-out war in Lebanon retaliation

Israel seeks to retaliate against Hezbollah without sparking all-out war in West Asia, amid escalating tensions and violence.

Israel wants to hurt Hezbollah but not drag West Asia into all-out war, two Israeli officials said on Monday, as Lebanon braced for retaliation after a rocket strike that killed 12 children and teens in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Two other Israeli officials said Israel was preparing for the possibility of a few days of fighting following Saturday's rocket strike at a sports field in a Druze village.

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All four officials, who included a senior defence official and a diplomatic source, spoke on condition of anonymity and gave no further information about Israel's plans for retaliation.

"The estimation is that the response will not lead to an all-out war," the diplomatic source said. "That would not be in our interest at this point."

Israel and the United States have blamed Lebanon's Hezbollah for the strike. Hezbollah has denied any role.

The incident has added to concerns that months of cross-border hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese group could spiral into a broader, more destructive war.