Lloyd Austin
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “reaffirmed the priority of achieving a Gaza ceasefire deal that will bring home hostages held by Hamas.”
The Lebanese group is “heading in the direction” of Hamas, which Israel will dismantle, the defense minister told Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier will remain in the Gulf of Oman. The USS Daniel Inouye, a destroyer, is also being redeployed to the Indo-Pacific.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant briefed his U.S. counterpart on the IDF operation to retrieve the bodies of six hostages who were brutally murdered by Hamas.
The Israeli defense minister discussed with his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin “ongoing joint efforts to deter Iran and its proxies.”
100 Israeli jets destroy thousands of Hezbollah missiles, drones in strikes on 40 sites in Southern Lebanon • Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant updated U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin on strikes • Hezbollah claims to have hit “high-quality” military targets.
They focused on “maintaining readiness and interoperability of Israeli and U.S. forces and capabilities in the face of ongoing threats posed by Iran and Hezbollah.”
The Pentagon chief reiterated to his Israeli counterpart Washington’s pledge “to take every possible step to defend Israel.”
The report said that Israeli intelligence indicates that the attack could be launched before the Gaza talks scheduled for Aug. 15.
The two defense chiefs also discussed the deployment of additional defenses against ballistic missiles.
At least five U.S. personnel wounded by rocket strike on the Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq • Biden briefed about timing and nature of Iranian strike on Israel • Details still not clear, U.S. officials say.
The U.S. secretary of defense also “expressed strong support for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal,” per the Pentagon.
