Israel must wrap up its military operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon and allow for diplomacy to remove the terror group from its border, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told Defense Minister Yoav Gallant when the two spoke on Saturday night.
Austin “reinforced the need to pivot from military operations in Lebanon to a diplomatic pathway as soon as feasible,” Pentagon Press Secretary Maj.-Gen. Pat Ryder said in a readout regarding the call.
It was the second conversation between the two men in the last few days.
They also spoke late Thursday after Israel’s security cabinet met, with Austin emphasizing that same message.
Gallant, according to his office, explained that the IDF’s actions to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure near the Israeli border with Lebanon were necessary to ensure the safe return of Israelis who had not been able to live in their homes in the border communities for over a year.
The United States has supported Israel’s right to self-defense and its targeted attacks against Hezbollah but has urged it to return to diplomacy. The US and France last month placed a 21-day ceasefire proposal on the table, which Hezbollah has only recently given a nod to.
Mossad chief David Barnea has said that any such diplomatic resolution must also include a hostage deal, out of the belief that Hezbollah is in a position to pressure Hamas to release the 101 remaining captives in Gaza.
Gallant’s office stated that during the call, the defense minister “reiterated his commitment to ensuring the return of 101 hostages” and “highlighted the importance of the international community to this end.”
The two men also “discussed ongoing defensive activities in the face of threats posed by Iran and its proxies, primarily Iranian militias in Yemen, Syria and Iraq,” Gallant’s office said.
Austin reaffirmed to Gallant the “United States’ unwavering, enduring, and ironclad commitment to Israel’s security,” Ryder said.
“He acknowledged Yom Kippur and the need to bring back all hostages to their families as soon as possible,” he added.
Concern over IDF fire at UN peacekeepers
Among the issues Austin also raised was his concern over a number of incidents along the Israeli-Lebanese border in which the IDF fired on the United Nations peacekeepers mission – known as the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) – during its operations against Hezbollah.
Austin “expressed his deep concern about reports that Israeli forces fired on UN peacekeeping positions in Lebanon as well as by the reported death of two Lebanese soldiers,” Ryder said.
“The secretary strongly emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety and security of UNIFIL forces and Lebanese Armed Forces,” he added.
Gallant assured Austin that the IDF would “continue to take measures to avoid harm to UNIFIL troops and peacekeeping positions.”