Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned Monday in a meeting with President Biden's top advisers that “military action” against Hezbollah was “the only way” to allow Israeli citizens to safely return to their homes in the north.
U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein met with both Gallant and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avert a broader conflict between the Jewish state and Iran-backed terrorist groups.
But Israeli officials appeared to stick to their position on dealing with Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north, noting that time was running out to secure a ceasefire agreement to end the war in Gaza, especially as Hezbollah continues to be “linked” to Hamas.
Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to President Biden, (left), meets with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during a visit to Tel Aviv, Israel, on Sept. 16, 2024. (Ariel Harmony/IMoD/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Instead, Gallant told Hochstein that Jerusalem needed to “change the security situation on its northern border,” without elaborating on what that meant.
Israeli security experts have warned for months that Jerusalem faces a much greater threat along its northern border because Hezbollah has been growing in power for decades and already has financial and military advantages over other Iranian proxies such as Hamas.
Following Hamas’ devastating attack in the south on Oct. 7, 2023, Israelis fled their homes in the north, fearing a similar attack by Hezbollah.
Officials have forced additional evacuations along the northern border as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah engage in routine cross-border skirmishes.
Israeli soldiers evacuate a wounded man after a cross-border attack from Lebanon into Israel, September 1, 2024. (Reuters/Ayyar Margolin)
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It is unclear how many Israeli residents have been forced to flee since the war with Hamas began almost a year ago, but some estimates put the number at as high as 80,000.
“We are waging a multi-pronged operation against the Iranian axis of evil that seeks our destruction,” Netanyahu said after Sunday's missile attack by the Houthis and Hezbollah. “I am concerned about the people of the north.”
“I see their anguish. I hear their anguish. The current situation cannot continue,” he added. “This requires a change in the balance of power on our northern border. We will do whatever it takes to bring our people back safely to their homes.”
“I am committed to this, the government is committed to this, we will not be satisfied with anything less,” Netanyahu warned.
Israeli officials have been increasingly resistant to reaching a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, saying they cannot reach one without the return of all hostages, despite pressure from the Biden administration.
An explosion occurs during an Israeli military strike in southern Lebanon, photographed from Zibkin, Lebanon, on August 25, 2024. (Reuters via Reuters TV)
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Netanyahu also said he had serious security concerns that could not be compromised for a ceasefire, including the continued Israeli military presence in Gaza's Philadelphia Corridor, which runs along the border with Egypt.
Following Monday's meeting between Netanyahu and Hofstein, according to a summary of the meeting, the prime minister said Israel “appreciates and respects the U.S. support,” but added that Jerusalem “will do whatever is necessary to maintain security and allow the safe return of northern residents to their homes.”
Fox News' Yonat Frilling contributed to this report.
