WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has pressed Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on the need for Israel to quickly develop a robust post-war plan for Gaza and ensure the tensions with Hezbollah group on Israel’s border do not escalate further. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken “stressed the significance of avoiding further escalation of the conflict and reaching a diplomatic resolution that allows both Israeli and Lebanese families to return to their homes,” according to a statement from State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. Blinken pressed the Israeli Minister to take more actions to protect aid workers in the Gaza Strip.
Earlier, the top U.S. military officer said that an Israeli offensive in Lebanon would raise the threat of a broader war that draws in Iran to aid Hezbollah. Israel has been fighting Hamas in its aggression in the Gaza Strip for months while also engaging in daily skirmishes with Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told journalists that Iran would be “more motivated to provide greater support to Hezbollah,” describing the group as having more resources than Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the “intense phase” of combat with Hamas in Gaza would be ending “very soon.” But he added that Israel would likely shift forces to the frontier with Lebanon.
In an interview with Israeli media, Netanyahu said moving forces north would boost the country’s defensive position against Hezbollah and allow Israelis who flown the fighting near the Lebanon-Israel border to return home.
The Israeli aggression is now in its ninth month with no immediate end in sight. President Biden has outlined a cease-fire that would stop fighting for six weeks and facilitate the release of Hamas-held hostages. Hamas has said any settlement must result in an end to the war, a demand Israel has overruled.
Gallant will meet with other U.S. officials during his visit to Washington this week, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Earlier, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told journalists in Luxembourg that the risk of the war spilling over was growing bigger every day. “I think that, unhappily, we are on the eve of the war expanding,” European Union foreign policy chief said.
He also said a truce in Gaza was greatly needed to ensure the flow of humanitarian aid, saying “delivery of humanitarian assistance inside Gaza has become impossible.” A temporary pier that was built for distributing aid into Gaza via a sea route paused deliveries Monday because of “scheduled maintenance,” Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder told reporters.
Sunday marked the U.S.-built pier’s largest supply day to date, with 720 metric tons of aid moved to the Gaza beach that day. Since the pier operations began on May 17, the U.S. military has transported more than 6,200 metric tons of humanitarian aid via the sea route to the Gazan coast for delivery to Palestinians, according to Pentagon press secretary.
Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder also told reporters Monday that the USS Theodore Roosevelt will leave the Pacific region in the future days to deploy to the Middle East “to promote regional stability, deter aggression and protect the free flow of commerce in the region.” Israel’s aggression in Gaza has killed more than 37,500 Palestinians, mostly civilians according to the territory’s Health Ministry.
