Israeli Defense Minister Briefs US on Military Operations Against Hezbollah

Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, updated his U.S. counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, on Sunday about the Israeli military’s ongoing operations against Hezbollah. This came after the exchange of the most intense fire between Israel and the Iran-backed group since the Gaza war began.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Gallant shared that he provided Austin with an assessment of Hezbollah’s threats and detailed the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) efforts to reduce the group’s ability to launch attacks against Israeli civilians. Their discussion also covered broader regional concerns and the threats posed by Iran and its allies.

The Pentagon noted that Austin and Gallant had also spoken earlier on Sunday, following Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on Israel. During the call, Austin reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Israel’s right to self-defense and emphasized the importance of finding a diplomatic solution to allow displaced northern Israeli residents to return home.

On Monday, Israel’s military conducted “extensive strikes” on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and urged civilians to vacate areas where the militant group operates in anticipation of further attacks.

For context, prior to twin attacks on Hezbollah’s communication devices last week, Israeli officials informed the U.S. about an upcoming operation in Lebanon but did not disclose specifics, according to sources familiar with the matter. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken later clarified that the U.S. was neither informed of the exact details nor involved in these incidents.