Israel minister tells visiting US envoy time 'running out' to stop Lebanon war
AFP Mon, 16 September 2024
Firefighters douse flames in a field in Israel's north after a drone launched from southern Lebanon started a fire (Jalaa MAREY) (Jalaa MAREY/AFP/AFP)
Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told a visiting US envoy on Monday that prospects were dimming for a halt to nearly a year of fighting with Hamas ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Iran-backed Lebanese armed group has traded regular cross-border fire with Israeli forces since Hamas's October 7 attack sparked war in the Gaza Strip, in a campaign Hezbollah has said was in support of its Palestinian ally.
Gallant on Monday met with visiting US envoy Amos Hochstein to discuss Israeli military operations against Hezbollah and the plight of Israelis displaced by the cross-border strikes, the defence ministry said in a statement.
He "emphasised that the possibility for an agreement is running out as Hezbollah continues to 'tie itself' to Hamas, and refuses to end the conflict," the statement said.
"Therefore, the only way left to ensure the return of Israel's northern communities to their homes, will be via military action."
Earlier on Monday the ministry said Gallant delivered a similar message by phone to his US counterpart Lloyd Austin about time "running out" for an agreement that would end the conflict.
While repeated rounds of talks mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt have sought a truce in Gaza, there have been no signs of progress in diplomacy aimed at halting the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel.