US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke on Sunday night with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and expressed his condolences for the four IDF soldiers who were killed in the Hezbollah drone attack which hit a base near Binyamina. “Secretary Austin reaffirmed the deep US commitment to Israel's security, demonstrated today by the announcement of the deployment of a US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery to Israel in the coming days,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder in a statement summarizing the call. Austin “also reinforced the importance of Israel taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of UNIFIL forces and Lebanese Armed Forces, and the need to pivot from military operations in Lebanon to a diplomatic pathway to provide security for civilians on both sides of the border as soon as feasible,” added the statement, echoing remarks made by Austin in a call with Gallant on Saturday. “Secretary Austin again raised concern for the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and stressed that steps must be taken soon to address it,” concluded the statement. On Sunday, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said on Sunday that a large barrage of anti-tank missiles was fired toward IDF troops in southern Lebanon. During the attack, two IDF soldiers were severely injured and multiple other soldiers were lightly and moderately injured. Their families have been notified, said the IDF. “An initial review showed that an IDF tank that was trying to evacuate injured soldiers while still under fire backed several meters into a UNIFIL post. Once the enemy fire stopped, and following the evacuation of the injured soldiers, the tank left the post,” it added. “During the incident, a smoke screen was used to provide cover for the evacuation of the injured soldiers. IDF soldiers maintained coordination with UNIFIL. Throughout the entirety of the incident, no danger was posed to UNIFIL forces by the IDF activity,” the IDF stressed. Later on Sunday, the IDF revealed that over the past month, approximately 25 rockets and missiles have been launched at Israeli communities and IDF troops from Hezbollah’s terrorist compounds embedded near UNIFIL posts in southern Lebanon, exploiting their proximity to UN forces. One of the attacks resulted in the deaths of two IDF soldiers. Related articles: Netanyahu may visit the US next week 15 Democrats back Sanders’ failed bid to block Israel arms sales Senate panel advances Huckabee’s nomination as Israel Ambassador US Sen. Graham objects to Netanyahu's choice for ISA Chief Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to evacuate UNIFIL soldiers from Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon. "Mr. Secretary General, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm's way. It should be done right now, immediately," the Prime Minister said.
