Gallant and Austin agree: Hezbollah infrastructure along the border must be dismantled

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke on Monday night with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as the IDF launched a limited ground operation against Hezbollah terrorist targets in Lebanon.

In a statement following the conversation, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said that Austin “reaffirmed US support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and other Iran-backed terrorist organizations.”

“They agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Hezbollah cannot conduct October 7-style attacks on Israel’s northern communities,” Ryder added.

“The Secretary reaffirmed that a diplomatic resolution is required to ensure that civilians can return safely to their homes on both sides of the border. He and Minister Gallant discussed the importance of ultimately pivoting from military operations to a diplomatic pathway to provide security and stability as soon as feasible,” the statement said.

“The Secretary made clear that the United States is well postured to defend US personnel, partners, and allies in the face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organizations, and determined to prevent any actor from exploiting tensions or expanding the conflict. The Secretary and Minister Gallant discussed the serious consequences for Iran in the event Iran chooses to launch a direct military attack against Israel,” concluded the statement.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said earlier that, in accordance with the decision of the political echelon, the IDF began limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said.