US warns ‘Israel’ over Lebanon as Gallant meets with Austin
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Yoav Gallant went to the United States against the backdrop of developments in the North with Hezbollah and for fear of a comprehensive war with it and the ammunition crisis.
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US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, right, listens as Security Minister Yoav Gallant, left, speaks during their meeting at the Pentagon in Washington, June 25, 2024 (AP)
The United States warned "Israel" Tuesday that a clash with Hezbollah might trigger a regional war, as UN agencies reported 10 children per day losing one or both legs and half a million Palestinians suffering "catastrophic" starvation in Gaza.
In a meeting at the Pentagon, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant that diplomacy is the best choice as worries of a massive war escalate.
Israeli media reported on Sunday that Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant went to the United States against the backdrop of developments in the North with Hezbollah and for fear of a comprehensive war with it and a possible ammunition shortage crisis.
Austin told reporters that another war would become regional, with "terrible consequences for the Middle East," adding that "Diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent more escalation."
Gallant told Austin at the start of the talk that "readiness in every possible scenario" should be discussed.
Read more: Lebanon denies Telegraph claims, invites officials for airport tour
An Israeli wide-scale attack on Lebanon would risk an Iranian response, triggering a broader war that could put United States forces in the region in danger, the Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General Charles Q. Brown, said to reporters in Botswana.
Brown stressed that the US would not likely be able to help "Israel" defend itself against a broader war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as it did in April.
He pointed to the potency of the Resistance's short-range munitions, which would be harder to intercept due to multiple factors.
The General said that the US will continue to talk with Israeli leaders and warn them against widening the war in the region.
Brown's comments come as the Israeli political and military commands threaten war on Lebanon.
Israeli strikes on Lebanon have persisted and escalated in recent weeks, as the Resistance in Lebanon continues to support the Palestinian people who face an unprecedented genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli government threatens war on Lebanon, local officials fear consequences
The Israeli military's Northern Command approved plans for aggression on Lebanon, as the Israeli government struggled to find solutions for the effects of Hezbollah's operations. Specifically, the mass evacuation of tens of thousands of Israeli settlers from northern occupied territories and the insecurity experienced in these settlements has become the main topic of worry for both settlers and Israeli authorities.
However, Israeli officials and political commentators have acknowledged the ill effects that a wider-scale war on Lebanon would bring to the occupation. The Resistance has released two crucial videos, detailing a list of targets it plans on attacking in case a war on Lebanon is launched.
Speaking to Channel 12, the Israeli occupation's Haifa Mayor, Yona Yahav, emphasized that Haifa's authorities are entirely unprepared for any scenario of an all-out war because the Israeli occupation's government does not cooperate with the settlement's municipality.
In a similar context, Avichai Stern, mayor of Kiryat Shmona in the northern occupied territories, held the Israeli occupation government responsible for the lack of preparation for the upcoming possible war with the Resistance, asserting that Hezbollah, who trains continuously, will face the Israeli occupation forces, which he described as "military police" guarding the gates.
Both statements hold a resounding truth about a possible wide-scale confrontation, in which Hezbollah would deploy its advanced weaponry to strike and disable vital Israeli sites and sectors. Nonetheless, the Israeli government insists on dragging on its war on Gaza and risking possible all-out war in West Asia.
