Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant planned to meet with senior Pentagon officials on Sunday to discuss Israeli security as tensions rise between the country and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Gallant said the meeting would focus on discussing the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, as well as Israeli military actions in Lebanon.
“These meetings are of crucial importance at this time,” he said in a statement. post on social media, translated from Hebrew. “The United States is our greatest ally, and the deep ties between our countries are more important than ever.”
The visit fulfills a invitation extended by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier this month and marks his first time in the US since the International Criminal Court (ICC) recommended criminal charges against him for war crimes last month.
The ICC’s recommendations were widely denounced by US lawmakers and the Biden administration.
The Biden administration has pressed Israel in recent weeks to cool rising tensions with Hezbollah in Lebanon, wary of a two-front conflict that could spill into a broader regional war as Israel continues to battle Hamas in Gaza.
The militant group Hezbollah has stepped up rocket fire at Israel and border clashes with Israeli troops in recent weeks, citing the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
US envoy Amos Hochstein and the Biden administration have proposed a diplomatic plan to resolve the growing crisis, which reportedly includes implementing a United Nations resolution, called 1701, that helped end a brief war Israel fought against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006.
The resolution demands the disarmament of the southern area of Lebanon, from the Litani River to the Blue Line, a UN demarcation line that separates Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights. Under the US plan, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and a UN peacekeeping force would be authorized to operate in the area, and there would be a phased withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters.
But this is likely to only be possible after a ceasefire in Gaza. And it is unclear whether Hezbollah would agree to the deal. Israel has threatened to enforce the lines by force if necessary.
Work on a ceasefire in Gaza has also slowed, as both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders have shown reluctance to accept a Biden-led effort to halt the fighting.
In recent weeks, Israeli officials have increasingly warned that a broader conflict with Hezbollah is inevitable. As cross-border bombings have become more intense, Netanyahu warned earlier this month that “one way or another” Israel will “reestablish security in the north.”
Gallant is considered more aggressive than Netanyahu regarding Lebanon. The defense minister has repeatedly warned of an imminent conflict with Hezbollah since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby emphasized Thursday that “talks are ongoing” among officials in the region who still hold out hope for a diplomatic solution.
“We don’t want to see a second front open yet,” he told reporters. “Obviously, we take the tensions and rhetoric on both sides seriously. And we are doing everything we can to try to avoid that outcome.”
The Hill has reached out to the Department of Defense for comment.
Brad Dress contributed.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
