Israeli defense chief in Washington to meet with senior US officials

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) – Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is in Washington to meet with senior US officials to discuss the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and tensions on the border with Lebanon.

"The meetings with senior government officials are critical for the future of the war,” Gallant said before his departure to the US, where he will meet with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Gallant said he will also discuss the next phase of the Gaza war and escalating hostilities on the border with Lebanon.

“We are prepared for any action that may be required in Gaza, Lebanon, and additional areas,” he added.

US Senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday said he had a "great" meeting with Gallant.

Calling him "a real Israeli patriot and a good friend," Graham said on X: "At this critical juncture in world history, it is imperative the United States demonstrates unshakeable support for the state of Israel, not just by words but by deeds."

During a phone call last week, Austin invited Gallant to visit the Pentagon to further discuss ongoing security developments in the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday reiterated his claim that the US is withholding arms shipments, saying there has been a "dramatic drop" in US weapons deliveries for Israel's “war effort” in Gaza.

Last week, the Biden administration repeatedly rejected Netanyahu’s remarks, insisting that the US only has withheld one shipment of 2,000-pound bombs "because of concerns about their use in a densely populated area like Rafah."

But President Joe Biden's demonstrations of solidarity with Israel and Netanyahu, even if strained in recent months, have angered millions of Americans firmly opposed to Israel’s war on Gaza, including many voters who normally support Biden.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

More than 37,500 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, and nearly 86,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

More than eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.