Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin were again on the phone overnight Monday into Tuesday, a few scant hours after Israeli forces officially entered Lebanese territory in their war against Hezbollah.
Gallant reiterated Israel’s stated goal of ensuring the safe return of Israel’s citizens to their homes along the northern border; at least 63,500 Israelis were evacuated for their own safety when Hamas terrorists in Gaza launched their war against Israel on October 7, 2023, swiftly joined the next day by fellow Iranian proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Hezbollah has launched daily rocket, missile and explosive drone attacks against Israel ever since.
Gallant briefed Austin on the operational and strategic measures required to ensure the safe return of Israeli citizens to their homes, his office said.
Both men agreed on the importance of dismantling Hezbollah’s attack infrastructure along the northern border to prevent attacks against Israeli citizens. In accordance with that objective, Gallant briefed Austin on the localized and targeted raids launched by the IDF overnight against Hezbollah terror targets along the border in southern Lebanon.
“These ground operations build on the recent and ongoing measures taken to eliminate senior Hezbollah leadership and to degrade Hezbollah’s offensive capabilities,” Gallant’s office said.
Austin reaffirmed US support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis in Yemen, and other Iran-backed terrorist organizations, according to a readout of the call released by Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder.
“They agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hezbollah cannot conduct October 7-style attacks on Israel’s northern communities,” according to the readout.
Austin “reaffirmed that a diplomatic resolution is required to ensure that civilians can return safely to their homes on both sides of the border,” Ryder said, adding that the two men “discussed the importance of ultimately pivoting from military operations to a diplomatic pathway to provide security and stability as soon as feasible.”
Gallant and Austin also discussed the ongoing threats posed by Iran and its other proxies in the region, including those in Iraq, Yemen and Syria, along with the importance of US force posture along with the interoperability of US and Israeli defensive capabilities.
The two men discussed the “serious consequences for Iran” in the event Iran chooses to launch a direct military attack against Israel.
The American defense secretary made clear that the United States is “well postured to defend US personnel, partners, and allies in the face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organizations, and determined to prevent any actor from exploiting tensions or expanding the conflict.”
The two men also also discussed ongoing military efforts in the southern arena, where Israeli forces are continuing mopping up operations against Hamas in Gaza.
The Israeli defense minister “reiterated his determination to achieve a framework that will enable the return of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, and highlighted the critical timing and current window of opportunity to advance this issue,” the Gallant’s office added.
