US Department of State explains its position:
"QUESTION: How do you see Israel's move or action of bombing Beirut airport and therefore diverting all flights to Cyprus? How do you view that? Do you see it as Israeli right to defend itself or do you see it as an escalation, or what exactly your position on that?
MR. MCCORMACK: There's obviously a lot of tension in the region and we're seeing a reaction from the Israeli Government to a provocation, to an attack. And you see the Israeli Government exercising its right to defend itself. As for anything further, commenting on what particular actions that they have taken, I'm not going to go beyond what the President has said.
QUESTION: You are talking and asking both sides to show restraint, but do you see this action as actually escalating or restraining or still within the strategy of what you call Israel trying to defend itself?
MR. MCCORMACK: We've said what we're going to say on it....
QUESTION: You have stated more than once that Israel has the right to defend itself. From your own point of view, how can this happen without targeting the civilians? Yesterday 47 were killed; today 91 injured.
MR. MCCORMACK: Look, we certainly mourn the loss of innocent life. And we have from the beginning of this situation counseled that the sides take every possible step to avoid the loss of innocent life and that remains our position. I think it is certainly the position of anybody who is watching this that you want to avoid loss of innocent life. At the same time, these are certainly very difficult -- this is a very difficult situation that Israel faces in defending itself." (thanks Mounzer)