Yoav Gallant said a military response was necessary to ensure the security of the northern part of the country.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said only further military action against Hezbollah would allow displaced Israelis to safely return to their homes in areas bordering Lebanon.
During a meeting with US Envoy Amos Hochstein in Tel Aviv on Monday, Gallant stressed that the window for a diplomatic deal with Lebanon-based militants was closing.
“Hezbollah continues to associate itself with Hamas” Gallant wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Therefore, the only way to ensure the return of the northern communities of Israel to their homes will be military action.”
Gallant echoed the same message during his phone call with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, warning that time is of the essence. “running out” for an agreement with Hezbollah.
More than 60,000 Israelis have been displaced since Hezbollah began firing rockets and mortars across the border in support of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have responded by striking targets in Lebanon and killing several senior Hezbollah operatives, including Fuad Shukr, who was killed in an airstrike in Beirut in late July.
Gallant and other Israeli officials have threatened Hezbollah with a crushing military response in the past, raising fears of a full-scale invasion of Lebanon. Iran has threatened Israel “war of annihilation” if he attacks Lebanon.
However, the US discourages Israel from expanding operations against Hezbollah due to concerns that this could provoke a new protracted regional conflict.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has tried to broker a peace deal between Israel and Hamas, said in July that Washington “definite” to avoid a larger conflict.
During the meeting with Gallant, Hochstein said Washington favored a diplomatic solution and warned that an offensive against Hezbollah would not lead to the return of refugees, the Times of Israel reported, citing a source familiar with the situation.
Last week, Hezbollah also issued a stark warning, with senior member Naim Qassem saying a full-scale war would lead to… “heavy losses on both sides” and even more refugees.
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