Gallant briefs US counterpart on preemptive strikes in Lebanon, says ‘closely following developments’

By Emanuel Fabian

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25 August 2024, 6:38 am

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Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

File: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (L) and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant give a joint press conference in Tel Aviv on December 18, 2023. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks with his American counterpart, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, after the IDF launched preemptive strikes on Hezbollah.

“We have conducted precise strikes in Lebanon in order to thwart an imminent threat against the citizens of Israel. We are closely following developments in Beirut, and we are determined to use all the means at our disposal in order to defend our citizens,” Gallant is quoted as saying in a readout.

According to the Defense Ministry, Gallant briefed Austin on the IDF’s strikes in Lebanon, and the pair “discussed the importance of avoiding regional escalation.”