US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on Monday with Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer.
State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said that during the meeting, Blinken “reiterated the importance of bringing all of the hostages home and ending the war in Gaza.”
“The Secretary and Minister continued discussions on how to chart a path forward in the post-conflict period that provides for governance, security, and reconstruction, which the Secretary emphasized was critical for Israel’s security,” said Miller.
Blinken “discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and underscored that Israel must do more to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza.”
Blinken and Dermer also “discussed the importance of implementation of the recently announced ceasefire in Lebanon to allow both Israeli and Lebanese civilians to return safely to their homes and remain there for the long term,” Miller stated.
“The Secretary reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and Iran-backed proxy groups,” concluded the statement.
The meeting between the two came amid repeated violations by Hezbollah of the ceasefire which came into effect last week.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit announced on Monday evening that the IAF struck dozens of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, just hours after the IDF attacked in the south of the country.
The wave of strikes came in response to Hezbollah's violation of the ceasefire after two mortar shells were fired from Lebanon at Mount Dov, without casualties. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the shooting.
Despite the Hezbollah violations of the agreement, US mediator Amos Hochstein, who helped broker the ceasefire, accused Israel of violating the terms of the ceasefire, Ynet reported on Monday.
Hochstein's accusations against Israel, which he made to officials in Jerusalem, join similar accusations made by France. However, America’s concerns appear to concern the use of surveillance drones in Beirut rather than the strikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, as France has complained about.
American officials told Ynet that “restraint is required from all sides” if the ceasefire is to hold.
France has claimed that rather than attempt to enforce the terms of the ceasefire itself and actively prevent Hezbollah from violating the agreement, Israel must first submit complaints before taking any military actions.