Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant is headed to Washington on Sunday to discuss the next phase of the Gaza war and escalating hostilities on the border with Lebanon, where exchanges of fire with Hezbollah have stoked fears of wider conflict.
🛫 New York – – – -> Washington, D.C. pic.twitter.com/g6IXmITpNc
— יואב גלנט – Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) June 23, 2024
Iran-backed Hezbollah has been trading fire with Israel since the Gaza war erupted more than eight months ago. The group has said it will not stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
Gallant is due to meet his US counterpart Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the trip.
Earlier in June, the group fired the largest volley of rockets and drones at Israeli military sites after an Israeli strike killed a senior commander.
Last week, US envoy Amos Hochstein was sent to Israel and Lebanon to try and cool tensions following the increase in cross-border fire, which prompted an escalation in rhetoric on both sides of the border.
