Washington says commitment to Israel is "ironclad" after deadly Lebanon strikes
Washington DC - The US said its commitment to Israel was "ironclad" and that it was "postured" to support its ally after the Israeli military said Sunday it had launched what it called preemptive strikes in Lebanon.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken with Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant about Israel's defense against attacks by the Lebanese group Hezbollah, Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder said.
"Secretary Austin reaffirmed the United States' ironclad commitment to Israel's defense against any attacks by Iran and its regional partners and proxies," Ryder said in a statement.
A Pentagon spokesperson added in a separate statement that the US has "been very clear" that it "is postured to support the defense of Israel."
Gallant announced a 48-hour nationwide state of emergency in Israel from 6:00 AM Sunday after the military launched what it called preemptive strikes in Lebanon.
The Israeli defense ministry said Gallant had briefed Austin on the situation.
"We have conducted precise strikes in Lebanon in order to thwart an imminent threat against the citizens of Israel," Gallant told Austin, according to a statement.
US National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said "senior US officials have been communicating continuously with their Israeli counterparts" at the direction of President Joe Biden, who was "closely monitoring events in Israel and Lebanon."
"We will keep supporting Israel's right to defend itself, and we will keep working for regional stability," Savett said in a statement.
Israel launches strikes on Lebanon
Hezbollah issued a statement Sunday announcing large-scale drone and rocket launches targeting deep into Israel in retaliation for the killing of its military commander in an Israeli strike last month.
The Israeli military said its fighter jets attacked thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers in south Lebanon on Sunday morning that were aimed at northern and central Israel.
"Approximately 100 IAF fighter jets ... struck and destroyed thousands of Hezbollah rocket launcher barrels that were located and embedded in southern Lebanon," the Israeli military said in a statement.
"Most of these launchers were aimed toward northern Israel and some were aimed toward central Israel."
Hezbollah in turn "fired hundreds of rockets and UAVs towards northern Israel," most of them after Israel launched its attack, Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nadav Shoshani told reporters.
The fire from Hezbollah was "part of a larger attack that was planned and we were able to thwart a big part of it this morning," Shoshani said, while declining to specify what Hezbollah had targeted.
"We're still in a situation assessment of the aftermath of the attack... there is still some fire happening," Shoshani said. "But I can tell you there was a little damage... very little damage."
Shoshani said Israel's partners, including the US, did not take part in Sunday's attack on Hezbollah.
"This morning was an Israeli operation," he said.
Lebanon reports fatalities after Israeli strikes
Lebanon's health ministry said three people were killed Sunday in the Israeli raids in the country's south.
An "Israeli drone strike on a car in the village of Khiam" killed one person, the health ministry said in a statement.
The Amal movement, a Hezbollah ally, later announced a fighter from Khiam had been killed.
The health ministry said that "the Israeli occupation attack on the village of Tiri" killed two people, without saying whether they were fighters or civilians.
It had earlier also reported two people including a Syrian man were wounded in "a series of Israeli raids" in the south.
Israel is currently engaged in an all-out assault on Gaza, having slaughtered more than 40,000 Palestinians in the besieged territory since October.
The US government has continued to supply Israel with deadly weapons and military equipment – including a new $20-billion agreement announced earlier this month.
Cover photo: REUTERS