On Saturday, Washington expressed its support for Israel's right to self-defense, following two separate bloody attacks in Tel Aviv and the West Bank, and the firing of missiles from Lebanon that prompted the Jewish state to launch raids.

A 36-year-old Italian tourist was trampled to death and seven others were injured Friday night in a car attack at the Tel Aviv waterfront.

Earlier Friday, two sisters from the settlement of Efrat, aged 16 and 20, were killed and their mother seriously injured in an attack in the West Bank.

"The targeting of innocent civilians, of any nationality, is unacceptable," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said in a statement, adding, "The United States stands with the government and people of Israel."

With regard to the missiles launched from Lebanon, the United States expressed its support for Israel, without explicitly supporting the raids launched by the Jewish state on southern Lebanon in response to those missiles.

A second US State Department spokesperson said, "We urge de-escalation from all sides, and we recognize that Israel can exercise its natural right to self-defence."

"Using Lebanon as a launching pad for missile attacks against Israel endangers Lebanon and increases the possibility" of an expansion of the conflict, he added.