US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant regarding the threat posed by Hezbollah, the Pentagon says.
A readout from Austin’s office says the two spoke about Israel’s response to Lebanese Hezbollah’s July 27 attack on Israel, which killed twelve children in a soccer field.
“They discussed the threats to Israel posed by a range of Iranian-backed terrorist groups, including Lebanese Hezbollah,” the readout says without referring to last night’s Israeli strike that killed a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut and the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, an operation also blamed on Israel.
“Secretary Austin reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and right to self-defense. They also discussed ongoing efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution that enables citizens on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border to safely return to their homes,” the statement says.
There is no immediate readout from the Israeli side.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
