Israel vows to take on Lebanon’s Hezbollah if diplomacy fails: ‘We will not hesitate to act’
WASHINGTON – Israel vowed Monday to take on Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah in Lebanon if a diplomatic solution cannot be reached — as the US tried to soothe tensions and discourage a wider war.
Speaking in Tel Aviv, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant pledged that the Jewish state would “not hesitate to act” to wipe out the militant group.
“If we fail to do so via understanding – ensuring that the border region is clear of terrorists and does not allow direct threats of our citizens – if such a process will not be implemented diplomatically, we will not hesitate to act,” Gallant said.
The retired Israel Defense Forces general said Hezbollah has been regularly lobbing “rockets, missiles and drones” into northern Israel from Lebanon since Oct. 8 — a day after fellow Iran-backed terror group Hamas’ monstrous sneak attack, which slaughtered more than 1,200 Israelis.
The attacks from Hezbollah have displaced more than 70,000 citizens living near the border, Gallant said.
Meanwhile, speaking alongside Gallant on his second visit to Israel since conflict broke out, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin condemned Hezbollah — but stopped short of saying whether the US would support Israel if it chose to retaliate.
“On Lebanon, we’ve been clear that we don’t want to see this conflict widened into a larger war or a regional war, and we call upon Hezbollah to make sure that they don’t do things that would provoke a wider conflict,” he said.
Austin’s response was part of a continuing narrative from Washington urging outside actors to be careful not to fuel a spread of the Hamas-Israel conflict throughout the Middle East.
While the US has stood firm in its support for Israel’s right to defend itself, the Biden administration has pushed the country to do so with some restraint to avoid a larger war and reduce civilian harm.
“Our support to Israel’s right to defend itself, it’s ironclad, as you’ve heard me say a number of times and that’s not going to change. It’s critical,” Austin said.
While Gallant said diplomacy is the “preferred way” to end Hezbollah’s attacks, insisting that Israel “is not looking for wars,” he added that the IDF must protect Israeli citizens.
“On one hand, we are patient and we are looking for a diplomacy solution that will make sure that Hezbollah is not threaten[ing] Israeli civilians on the north and communities directly,” the defense minister said.
“On the other hand, we are preparing ourselves for any situation that is needed, and if something like that happened, we will know what to do and we will prevail.”
Gallant added: “We are not looking for anything similar to that, and we hope that Hezbollah will understand that it’s time to stop.”
Noting that the US also does not “seek war,” Austin called on Iran “to take steps to de-escalate” the hostilities.
“As we are driving to stabilize the region, Iran is raising tensions by continuing to support terrorist groups and militias,” he said. “Attacks by these Iranian proxies threaten the region citizens and risk a broader conflict.”
Speaking from the White House on Monday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that while “obviously Israel has a right to self-defense” the US does not want to see “a full-on conflict” between Hezbollah and Israel.
“We want to keep it this way, to keep this conflict focused, as it rightly should be, on Hamas and in the wake of Oct. 7,” he said.
“So we’re in active discussions with our Israeli counterparts about the activities going on up there at the northern border.”
The IDF has so far focused the majority of its attacks on Hamas in northern Gaza, where civilian casualty rates have climbed as the terrorists use the innocent as human shields.
As of Monday, Gallant said the IDF had attacked “thousands” of Hamas fighters “including senior commanders” in northern Gaza, “destroyed military infrastructure” and “dismantled most of the battalions operating in the area.”
However, the defense minister said Hamas’ leadership remains intact in southern Gaza, meaning more focus will need to be placed there.
“In south Gaza, we are resigned and focused on eliminat[ing] Hamas leadership and military infrastructure,” he said.
But after Israel came under fire for high civilian casualty rates in the north, the US has urged the Jewish state to exercise caution and conduct more targeted strikes, particularly as the fighting moves to southern Gaza where Israel initially told civilians to go to avoid strikes in the north.
“The United States has been clear and consistent since Hamas started this war on Oct 7, democracies are stronger and more secure when we uphold the law of war,” Austin said.
“Protecting Palestinian civilians in Gaza is both a moral duty and a strategic imperative.”
