Reply #6: the aim of the international community is to make good on diplomacy

[bigtree]

so they can obviate the need for an aggressive military response to the threat from Hizbolla's missiles.

As for 'stopping' Israel, short of war, there are numerous levers the US should be able to exercise (if they are willing and commited) to hold Israel back from these extremes.

I recognize that there isn't much in Israel's statements or actions to be hopeful that they will independently restrain themselves from the vicious assaults on Lebanon and its infrastructure that they've employed in this latest conflict. That's why it is so important that the UN mission assert themselves with as much authority as they can manage; not just in holding Israel accountable, but in making certain that they use every lever they possess to disarm and neutralize the military component of Hizbollah so Israel has no further pretext to justify the continued assaults.