U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken appealed again Friday for a ceasefire in Lebanon as Israel ignored calls to stop strikes targeting Hezbollah.

"The most important thing to do through diplomacy is to try first to stop firing in both directions and then to use the time that we would have in such a ceasefire to see if we can reach a broader diplomatic agreement," Blinken told a news conference as he wrapped a week of U.N. diplomacy.