Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke overnight with his U.S. counterpart, Lloyd Austin , and they agreed "on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hezballah cannot conduct October 7-style attacks on Israel's northern communities, according to a readout of the conversation issued by the Pentagon.
The statement came hours after U.S. President expressed reservations about a ground operation when asked by reporters whether he was "comfortable" with Israel's plans to enter Lebanon. “I’m more aware than you might know and I’m comfortable with them stopping. We should have a cease-fire now,” he said on Monday.
Austin made it clear that Washington supports Israel's right to defend itself and reiterated that "a diplomatic resolution is required to ensure that civilians can return safely to their homes on both sides of the border."
The Defense Secretary also made it clear that the US intends to protect its people and allies in the region against threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organizations, and that it is determined to prevent any player from exploiting the tensions or expanding the conflict. Austin once again warned the regime in Tehran, in the shadow of his threats, discussing with Gallant "the serious consequences for Iran in the event Iran chooses to launch a direct military attack against Israel."
The White House also expressed support for the limited ground operation in Lebanon, officially confirmed overnight by the IDF.
However, the White House referred to what it called the "risk" of a prolonged invasion which is currently defined as a "targeted" operation." The administration said it is holding discussions on the issue with Israel and is pushing for a diplomatic solution.
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US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at the Pentagon
(Photo: Ariel Harmoni, Ministry of Defense)
Austin reiterated this in his conversation with Gallant, saying that "a diplomatic resolution is required to ensure that civilians can return safely to their homes on both sides of the border." He and Gallant "discussed the importance of ultimately pivoting from military operations to a diplomatic pathway to provide security and stability as soon as feasible."
The IDF announced overnight that it had begun a "targeted ground operation" against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, after the political-security cabinet approved on Monday night the next phase of the operation in Lebanon.
The IDF spokesman said in a statement that overnight the IDF began "limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon. These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel."
"The IDF is operating according to a methodical plan set out by the General Staff and the Northern Command which IDF soldiers have trained and prepared for in recent months. The Israeli Air Force and IDF Artillery are supporting the ground forces with precise strikes on military targets in the area. These operations were approved and carried out in accordance with the decision of the political echelon. Operation Northern Arrows” will continue according to the situational assessment and in parallel to combat in Gaza and in other arenas," the IDF also said.
"The IDF is continuing to operate to achieve the goals of the war and is doing everything necessary to defend the citizens of Israel and return the citizens of northern Israel to their homes," it concluded.