Thursday, June 27, 2024, 12:38
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared Wednesday during a visit to Washington that his country does not want a war in Lebanon, but that it can return that country to the “Stone Age” if diplomacy fails. “Hezbollah understands very well that we can inflict massive damage,” he added. Gallant revealed that Israel has killed more than 400 “terrorists” from that movement backed by Iran in recent months.
Fears of an all-out war in Lebanon have increased in recent weeks as violent exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah have intensified.
The two sides have been regularly firing rockets at each other across the border since an Oct. 7 attack by Hezbollah-allied Hamas on southern Israel sparked the war in the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s defense minister said earlier that he had made “significant progress” in shipping US weapons to Israel for its military campaign in the devastated Palestinian territory. “Obstacles were removed and bottlenecks were addressed,” he said.
US support
“I would like to thank the American administration and public opinion for their continued support of the State of Israel,” he said after meeting with Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser. During his stay in the US capital, he also spoke with Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin.
In recent days, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly accused the US government of delaying the delivery of weapons to Israel. Washington insisted that only one shipment of bombs has been delayed for fear they would be used in populated areas, and that the others are continuing on their normal course.
Gallant did not provide more details about the progress or clarify whether the Biden administration agreed to boost the shipment of weapons or if it gave reassuring explanations.
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