Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday morning said that he and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke and reached understandings regarding Israel's limited but ongoing ground operation in southern Lebanon.
In the discussion, held Monday night Gallant emphasized "the stated goal of ensuring the safe return of Israel’s citizens to their homes in the north," briefing Austin on the operational and strategic measures required to achieve this mission.
Austin and Gallant agreed on the importance of dismantling attack infrastructure alone the northern border to prevent attacks by Hezbollah against Israeli citizens. To this end, Gallant discussed the localized and targeted raids that the IDF launched overnight, against Hezbollah terror targets in the border area of southern Lebanon.
"These ground operations build on the recent and ongoing measures taken to eliminate senior Hezbollah leadership and to degrade Hezbollah’s offensive capabilities," Gallant's statement explained.
"Minister Gallant and Secretary Austin also discussed ongoing threats posed by Iran and its proxies in the region, including Iranian proxies and militias in Iraq, Yemen and Syria. They discussed the importance of US force posture and the interoperability of US and Israeli defensive capabilities.
"The Minister and Secretary also discussed ongoing military efforts in the southern arena. Minister Gallant reiterated his determination to achieve a framework that will enable the return of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, and highlighted the critical timing and current window of opportunity to advance this issue," the statement concluded.