Military can’t focus on Hezbollah until it finishes Gaza war: Israeli MP
Ze’ev Elkin, a member of Israel’s Knesset with the right-wing New Hope party, has warned that Israel’s drawn-out war in Gaza is limiting its military options in the north bordering Lebanon.
“I think our problem in the north is in the south,” Elkin told Israel’s 103FM radio. “We got stuck in the south.” “We can’t move north until we finish the war in the south, and the north is paying the price for such management,” Elkin said.
Netanyahu laments ‘dramatic drop’ in weapons deliveries from US
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said in an official statement published by his office that the United States has given his country “support in spirit and material – with means of defence and means of attack” since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza.
“But about four months ago, there was a dramatic drop in the supply of armaments arriving from the US to Israel,” he said.
“For weeks, we asked our American friends to speed up the shipments. We did it time and time again. We did it at the highest levels, and at all levels, and I want to emphasise – we did it in private rooms. We got all sorts of explanations, but one thing we didn’t get: the basic situation didn’t change,” Netanyahu added.
Netanyahu’s latest comments came as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant flew to Washington for talks about the Gaza war.
US Democrats wrestle with decision to attend Netanyahu’s Congressional address
US Democrats are wrestling with whether to attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the United States Congress on July 24.
Many lawmakers in the US are torn between their long-standing support for Israel and their anguish about Israel’s war, which has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians.
While some Democrats are saying they will come out of respect for Israel, a larger and growing faction wants no part of it, creating an extraordinarily charged atmosphere at a gathering that normally amounts to a ceremonial, bipartisan show of support for a US ally.
A large portion of the Congressional Progressive Caucus – lawmakers who are among the most critical of Israel’s handling of the war – is expected to skip. Among them is Washington state’s Representative Pramila Jayapal, the chair of the caucus, who told the Associated Press news agency that it was a “bad idea” to invite Netanyahu.
The Israeli prime minister’s visit is expected to draw significant protests, and some members of US Congress are planning an alternative event.
In the US, Israel defence chief to discuss ‘additional things’ in Gaza war
Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant will soon arrive in Washington, DC, to meet his American counterpart Lloyd Austin and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Their talks come as concerns rise over a second front being opened in the war on Gaza in Lebanon.
“We are prepared for any action that may be required in Gaza, Lebanon, and in more areas,” Gallant said in a statement before leaving.
Some Israeli officials have linked the ongoing Israeli push into Rafah – the southern area of Gaza, where it says it’s targeting “the last” Hamas battalions – to a potential focus on Lebanon. Gallant appeared to make the same link in his statement.
“The transition to Phase C in Gaza is of great importance. I will discuss this transition with US officials, how it may enable additional things, and I know that we will achieve close cooperation with the US on this issue as well.”
Scaling back Gaza army operations would free up forces to take on Lebanon’s Hezbollah, if Israel were to launch a ground invasion.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in Washington, DC, for meetings in March
