Israel’s defense minister to travel to Washington as part of preparations to strike Iran

By Said Amori

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is set to travel to the US on Wednesday for security consultations as part of preparations by Israel to launch an attack on Iran in response to its retaliatory missile strikes, Hebrew media reported Sunday.

Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported that Gallant will make a quick visit to Washington to discuss security developments in the Middle East.

The Israel Hayom daily said the visit will primarily focus on Iran and aims to coordinate security efforts with the US.

Gallant will meet with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as part of the visit, the Pentagon announced.

Iran launched more than 180 rockets at Israel in early October in response to the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah as well as Israel's actions in Gaza and Lebanon, causing casualties and material damage to military bases.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah group and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 41,900 people, most of them women and children, following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October.

At least 2,036 people have since been killed, over 9,500 injured and 1.2 million others displaced, according to Lebanese authorities.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala in Istanbul