Defense Minister Yoav Gallant discussed the situation in Israel's North in a phone call on Monday with his American counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Gallant's office reported.
Gallant said that the possibility for an agreement in the North is passing, adding that Hezbollah continues to "tie itself" tp Hamas.
He further pointed out to Austin that the direction in the North was "clear" and affirmed Israel was committed to returning the evacuated residents to their homes in the communities in northern Israel.
Concerning Israel's war against Hamas, Gallant asserted Israel would operate "by any means" necessary in order to return the hostages held in Gaza captivity and to destroy Hamas.
Gallant also spoke of the Houthi threat following the missile that was fired at central Israel on Sunday and noted the Yemeni terror group posed a "regional threat."
The defense minister further noted Israel had exemplified how it operates against terrorist organizations that threaten its citizens.
Heightened tensions in Israel's North
The call came amid heightened tensions on Israel's northern border with Lebanon, with Hezbollah firing dozens of rockets into Israel's North in the past few days.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the situation in the North “cannot continue," requiring instead “a change in the balance of forces on our northern border.”
Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.