Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the window for a diplomatic solution to the war against Hezbollah in Israel's north, is closing. "Hezbollah continues to align itself with Hamas, Gallant told U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in an overnight call adding the direction that the crisis was heading is clear. He said Israel is committed to returning the residents of the border area, home safely and to remove the Iran-backed terror group away from the border.
Meanwhile, rocket fire to the Upper Galilee continued early on Monday. At least five projectiles were launched from Lebanon.
Schools in the Druze village of Majdal Shams on the Golan Heights will remain closed after heavy rocket fire targeted the area in the past day. "We will not put our children at risk," the local council said. The town was still devastated after 12 children were murdered in a Hezbollah attack in July.
Gallant and Austin also discussed an American proposal that might restart negotiations for a cease-fire and hostage release deal in Gaza, after talks stalled after six Israeli hostages were executed by the terrorists and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel must remain on the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza border with Egypt.
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Prime Minister Netanyahu tells world media Israel will not leave the Philadelphi Corridor in Gaza
(Photo: GPO)
Gallant said that even if the war in the north expands, Israel would continue its efforts to return the remaining 101 hostages held for nearly one year after they were abducted during the October 7 massacre.
"Israel's military and defense agencies will continue to work to dismantle Hamas and bring the hostages back, by any means," Gallant said.
The two men also discussed the threat posed by the Houthi rebels in Yemen after a ballistic missile was fired at Israel on Sunday. "They spoke about the threat to the entire region," Gallant's office said.
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Fire caused by an intercept of a Houthi missile targeting Israel
(Photo: Menahem Kahana / AFP)
Biden administration officials told Ynet over the weekend that they were concerned over the possibility that Netanyahu would fire his defense minister or force him to resign, in the coming days. They said this would mean the U.S. would lose a valuable partner in the Israeli leadership. Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden's relationship has become tense in recent months because of disagreements over how Israel conducts the war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Since the start of the war, the officials said, Gallant has maintained close communication with Washington and is considered to be the adult in the room.