BERLIN, September 21. /TASS/. The German government is watching with alarm the recent developments in the Middle East, but remains certain that a further escalation of the conflict can be avoided, the Cabinet’s spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit has said.

"The German government is following with great concern the recent escalation of the Middle East conflict in Lebanon, in which many innocent civilians were killed or injured," he said. "The confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah must not be allowed to escalate into a large-scale regional conflict. It would have terrible, long-term consequences for the people of the entire region. The devastation resulting from such a confrontation would be catastrophic," Hebestreit warned.

"The German government is convinced that a further escalation is not unavoidable. There must be a chance for a diplomatic solution," he added, indicating that all sides should exert efforts to let diplomacy succeed.

On September 17 and 18, Lebanon saw a spate of explosions of communication devices. On the first day, a large number of pagers blew up almost simultaneously in different parts of the country. According to the Ministry of Health, 12 people, including 2 children, were killed, and 2,800 taken to hospitals with injuries.

The next day, radios, phones, as well as devices powered by solar panels and lithium-ion batteries exploded in various parts of Lebanon. The second attack left 25 people dead and 608 injured.