In a Monday meeting with U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned “Iran’s aggression has reached an all-time high” as the U.S. scrambles to broker a cease-fire deal with Hamas after nearly 11 months of war....READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE ▶▶
“To counter this, we must work together to achieve and project groundbreaking capabilities in all arenas,” Gallant said according to a readout of the meeting from Tel Aviv, which was also attended by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.
Gallant highlighted the “strategic junction” that Israel finds itself in as it stares down threats from Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north — both of which are heavily backed by Iran.
Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant in a meeting with the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, and IDF Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi meet 8/26/2024. (Photo: Ariel Hermoni/Israeli Ministry of Defense)
The exchange appears to have resulted in three deaths in Lebanon, and one Israeli soldier was killed, though by mid-morning Sunday the assault was over.
Reports on Monday suggested the long-awaited attack by Iran and Hezbollah, which resulted in a relatively limited number of casualties, may have eased concerns of a broader war in the Middle East.
But comments made by Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, on Monday signified the threat posed by Iran has not diminished.
“What we witnessed yesterday is only part of that revenge,” he said, according to Arab news outlet Al Mayadeen English. “Revenge against the Israeli entity is inevitable.”
Men carry the coffin of Amal fighter, Ayman Kamel Idriss who was killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on August 25, during his funeral on August 26, 2024 Nabatieh, Lebanon. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
The exchange of fire on Sunday does not appear to have altered any of the progress in the ceasefire talks with Hamas, according to White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby on Monday.
“There continues to be progress. Our team on the ground continues to describe the talks as constructive,” he told reporters. “Despite the rocket and drone attack by Hezbollah over the course of the weekend, which Israel did a terrific job defending against, it has not affected the actual work on the ground by the teams trying to get the ceasefire deal in place.”
Kirby said there remains a sense of “urgency” in trying to get a ceasefire secured.
