Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant announced a conversation with Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin during which they discussed the situation on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.
This was reported by The Times of Israel.
Gallant said he briefed Austin on Hezbollah’s current threats and provided an assessment of IDF efforts to curb the group’s ability to attack Israeli civilians.
The talks also touched on the broader regional situation, including threats emanating from Iran and its allies.
Cursor previously reported that Galant recounted how the operation in Beirut was related to his personal tragedy 27 years ago.
Galant called the killing of senior Hezbollah commanders Ibrahim Aqil and Ahmed Wahbi a significant achievement not only for the country, but also for him personally. Gallant recalled that these were the commanders who led the 1997 ambush in Lebanon that killed 11 commandos from the IDF’s elite maritime unit that he led before his promotion.
Galant noted that the recent attack on the Dahiya area was an important step not only for the security of Israel and the IDF, but also for him personally, as this episode completed the cycle of revenge for the tragedy of 27 years ago, when his comrades and subordinates of the unit were killed during the “Shayetet-13” operation.
He stressed that Aqil and Wahbi were the commanders of that ambush, and their liquidation became the symbolic end of this story.
The minister added that this IDF attack is an important duty towards the fallen, their families and the residents of northern Israel, as well as a clear signal to those who threaten the country.
