Israeli defence minister Gallant heads to US for ‘critical’ talks on Gaza war, arms delays, Lebanon
- Yoav Gallant headed to Washington to discuss the next phase of the Gaza war, escalating hostilities with Lebanon, and delays in US arms shipments
Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant was headed to Washington on Sunday for “critical” talks on the Gaza war raging since October 7 and surging cross-border tensions with Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced hope for speedy progress on unfreezing US arms and ammunition deliveries from Israel’s top ally, which he said had dropped off sharply in recent months.
US President Joe Biden has been at odds with Israel’s veteran right-wing leader over Gaza’s surging civilian death toll, but US officials have said they were not aware of what Netanyahu was referring to on the arms issue.
The Israeli premier on Sunday told his cabinet that “about four months ago, there was a dramatic drop in the supply of armaments arriving from the US to Israel. We got all sorts of explanations, but … the basic situation didn’t change.”
However, he voiced hope the issue would now be cleared up: “In light of what I have heard in the last day, I hope and believe that this issue will be resolved in the near future.”
Tensions have also flared on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, whose Iran-backed Hezbollah movement has traded daily cross-border fire with the army, heightening fears of all-out war.
