Israel is ready for “any action” in Lebanon

Israel is “prepared for any action that may be necessary in Gaza, Lebanon and other areas,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday before leaving for a visit to the United States.

“The United States is our most important and central ally. Our relationship is critical and perhaps more important now than ever,” Gallant said, amid high tensions with the administration of US President Joe Biden.

Gallant is traveling at Austin’s invitation. He will also meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the Gaza war and the tense situation on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia have been firing at each other since October 7.

The US broadcaster CNN had previously reported that high-ranking members of the House of Representatives had assured an Israeli delegation of the full support of the USA in the event of a full-scale war with Hezbollah.

The conflict on the Lebanese border, which has been going on for eight months, has recently escalated due to fears of a larger regional conflict in which the United States, Israel’s most important ally, could also be drawn.

Gallant’s visit is overshadowed by the increasing tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the US government after Netanyahu sharply criticized the US for its reluctance to supply weapons in a video message broadcast on Tuesday.

John Kirby, spokesman for the US National Security Council, described Netanyahu’s video as “confusing to say the least and certainly disappointing.”

These comments were “deeply disappointing” and “upsetting to us,” Kirby said on Thursday.