US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that his call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant occurred while the operation targeting Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut was already underway. Austin stated that the United States was not involved in Israel’s operation and had no advance warning.
Upon landing at Joint Base Andrews from his trip to the United Kingdom, Austin emphasized that the US is currently gathering information on the strike and stressed the importance of avoiding an all-out war. He highlighted the significance of diplomacy as the best way forward to facilitate the return of displaced Israeli and Lebanese citizens to their homes on both sides of the border.
Austin mentioned that he plans to speak with Gallant again soon to receive an update on the situation. This communication comes amidst mounting frustrations within US officials due to Israel's last-minute notification about the strikes, adding to existing tensions surrounding a US-led ceasefire proposal for the Israel-Lebanon border.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's mixed messages this week regarding the ceasefire proposal and his combative speech at the UN General Assembly, where he vowed to continue the fight with Hezbollah, have further complicated the situation.
