Senior White House adviser Amos Hochstein is expected to visit Beirut, a US official said, as part of US efforts to ease tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border, Reuters reports.

Washington fears Israel’s bombardment of Gaza could spread violence across the region, with armed groups backed by Israel’s arch-rival Iran launching solidarity attacks in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

The border violence has forced tens of thousands on both sides to flee and raised fears the conflict in Gaza could spiral into the rest of the region.

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati told a senior United Nations official earlier this week that his country was ready for talks on long-term stability on its southern border with Israel.

Israel has said it is giving a chance for diplomacy to prevent Hezbollah from firing on people living in its north and to push Hezbollah back from the border, warning that the Israeli army will otherwise take action to achieve these aims.