Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has stated that a military response is necessary to ensure the safety of the country’s northern region.
Gallant asserts that only further military action against Hezbollah will allow displaced Israelis to return to their homes in border areas with Lebanon.
During a meeting with US envoy Amos Hochstein in Tel Aviv on Monday, Gallant emphasized that the window for a diplomatic agreement with the Lebanese-based militants is closing.
“Hezbollah continues to tie itself to Hamas,” Gallant wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Therefore, the only way left to ensure the return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes, will be through military action.”
Gallant conveyed the same sentiment during a phone conversation with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, cautioning that time for an agreement with Hezbollah was “running out.”
Over 60,000 Israelis have been displaced since Hezbollah commenced rocket and mortar shell attacks across the border in support of Hamas in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) retaliated by targeting sites in Lebanon and eliminating several senior Hezbollah operatives, including Fuad Shukr, who was killed in an airstrike in Beirut in late July.
Gallant and other Israeli officials have previously threatened Hezbollah with a more extensive military response, igniting concerns of a full-scale invasion of Lebanon. Iran, in response, has threatened West Jerusalem with “an obliterating war” if it attacks Lebanon.
However, the US has discouraged Israel from expanding operations against Hezbollah due to concerns that it could spark a protracted regional conflict.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has been endeavoring to broker a peace deal between Israel and Hamas, stated in July that Washington was “determined” to avert a broader conflict.
During his meeting with Gallant, Hochstein expressed Washington’s preference for a diplomatic resolution and warned that an offensive against Hezbollah would not lead to the return of refugees, according to the Times of Israel, citing a source familiar with the matter.
Hezbollah also issued a strongly worded warning last week, with senior member Naim Qassem stating that a full-fledged war would result in “large losses on both sides” and an increase in refugees.