Gallant speaks of “significant progress” after visit to Washington, US calls for “diplomatic solution” in Lebanon: war, day 266
Israel’s Defense Minister is visiting the United States this Wednesday and, after a meeting with the American National Security Advisor, said that “considerable progress” had been made in negotiations agreements with the US, especially on the supply of more weapons.
Yoav Gallant, whose visit has been criticized by several members of the Democratic Party (as has Benjamin Netanyahu’s imminent trip to Washington DC), said that conversations with Jake Sullivan addressed “the subject of increasing forces and supply of ammunition that must be sent to the state of Israel†.
“During these meetings, we made considerable progress. Obstacles were removed and doubts were answered,” assured the Israeli minister, who once again thanked Joe Biden and the USA for their unwavering support for the Tel Aviv executive.
Gallant’s statements came just days after his country’s Prime Minister, Netanyahu, criticized the Americans for slowing down the delivery of weapons to Israel, so that the army continues to bomb the Gaza Strip and fighting what he considers to be Hamas’ last strongholds. However, the Biden administration assured that it only froze a single order for heavy bombs, in May, when it was reported by non-governmental organizations that US weapons had been used to kill Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, highlighted the meeting with Gallant on social media, reiterating that the objective of the meetings is to discuss the ceasefire plan proposed by the United States (and which has already received positive signals from the Council UN Security Council and even Hamas) and “the release of all remaining hostages, as well as the analysis of the post-conflict period†.
US calls for “diplomatic solution” to avoid war in Lebanon
Tensions between Israel and the fundamentalist group Hezbollah, which operates in southern Lebanon, continue to worry various international actors. This Wednesday, the United Nations humanitarian chief, Martin Griffiths, warned that a wider conflict in the region would be “potentially apocalypticâ€.
Two top US foreign policy officials also urged Israel not to escalate the war on the border with Lebanon. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Antony Blinken “emphasized the importance of avoiding further escalation of the conflict and reaching a diplomatic solution that allows families Israelis and Lebanese return home”, in the meeting with Yoav Gallant.
Secretary of State for Defense Lloyd Austin made it clear that any intensification of attacks between Israel and Hezbollah “could easily become a regional war, with disastrous consequences for the Middle East”. €.
“Diplomacy is by far the best way to avoid further escalation,†he added.
Meanwhile, some countries have already started to take diplomatic decisions facing the prospect of a war on the southern border of Lebanon, including Canada, which asked its citizens this Wednesday to leave the country, due to “increasing volatility†of the situation†.
“The security situation in Lebanon is increasingly volatile and unpredictable due to the sustained escalation of violence between [o grupo xiita libanês] Hezbollah and Israel, which could deteriorate further without warning. (…) Now is the time to leave, while commercial flights remain available,” said Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, via the social network X (formerly Twitter).
On the right, Palestinian activist Aziz Abu Sarah met with Pope Francis on May 18, together with his Israeli friend Maoz Inon
Vatican Pool
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