Attacks by the Lebanese terror organization were one of the main issues discussed during the meeting between US Defense Sec. Austin, Defense Min. Gallant, and PM Netanyahu.
Dec 19, 2023, 7:54 AM (GMT+2)
Israel has told the Biden administration that it wants Hezbollah to be pushed roughly six miles from the border as part of a diplomatic deal to end tensions with Lebanon, Axios reported Tuesday, citing three Israeli and US officials.
According to the report, the attacks by the Lebanese terror group were one of the main issues discussed during Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s meeting on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv. Israeli officials said Netanyahu and Gallant told Austin that Israel couldn’t accept that tens of thousands of its citizens were displaced for months because of the security situation on the other side of the border.
Officials told Axios that during the meeting, Netanyahu and Gallant told Austin that as part of this agreement, they want Hezbollah not to be allowed to go back to its positions along the border, which Israel destroyed in the last two months. US and Israeli officials said Austin told Netanyahu and Gallant that the Biden administration understands the Israeli concerns and will push for a peaceful solution but asked that Israel give time and space for diplomacy and not take steps that exacerbate the tensions.
Following the meeting, Gallant spoke to the press and addressed the repeated attacks from Lebanon: “We will bring back the residents of the north to their homes on the border after full security will be restored. We prefer to do so via understanding, ensuring that the border region is clear of terrorists and does not allow direct threats to our citizens. If such a process will not be implemented diplomatically, we will not hesitate to act.”
Since October 7th, Hezbollah has carried out hundreds of attacks on Israel, including rocket, anti-tank missile, and UAV attacks on communities and military positions in northern Israel. To date, five Israeli civilians have been killed in these attacks, and 80,000 civilians in northern Israel have evacuated their homes.
On Monday, the IDF accused the Hezbollah terrorist organization of launching attacks at Israel from UN sites and positions of the Lebanese military.
“By continuing to operate and fire projectiles and UAVs from southern Lebanon at Israel, Hezbollah is violating UN Security Council Resolution 1701,” the IDF stated
“Moreover, Hezbollah has carried out many of these attacks from areas near UN positions and Lebanese Armed Forces compounds. This demonstrates Hezbollah’s blatant abuse of the international and national institutions responsible for security in southern Lebanon.
While Hezbollah continues to violate UNSCR 1701, the IDF will continue to defend Israel’s northern border from any threat,” the military added.
Content retrieved from: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/382190.