Gallant said, according to statements provided by his office: “There is only one possible outcome: a new reality in the northern arena that will allow the safe return of our citizens.”
According to the Times of Israel newspaper, Gallant added: “We find ourselves at a crossroads. There is a short window of time for diplomatic understandings, which is what we prefer. We will not tolerate the threats posed by Iran’s proxy, Hezbollah, and we will guarantee the security of our citizens.”
The Israeli Ministry of Defense said on Thursday that Hockstein was briefed on “the security situation on Israel’s northern border and the conditions required by the defense establishment to facilitate the safe return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes in the region.”
Hochstein, who was heavily involved in sponsoring the talks that culminated in Israel and Lebanon demarcating maritime borders in 2022, arrived in Israel on Thursday.
A senior Biden administration official told reporters on Wednesday that Hockstein met with Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib and that the United States had “an ongoing diplomatic effort to help resolve some of the tension” between Israel and Hezbollah, without going into further details.
Tension is rising on Lebanon's southern front, especially after the assassination of Hamas leader Saleh Al-Arouri in the southern suburb of Beirut, Hezbollah's main stronghold.
Since the October 7 attack until today, Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged bombardments amid warnings of the conflict expanding further.
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