Secretary of State Lloyd Austin reportedly fuming after Israel only informed US of impending airstrike against Hezbollah headquarters after the jets were already airborne.
By World Israel News Staff
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was outraged with his Israeli counterpart over the weekend, according to a report by The Jerusalem Post, after Israel gave the Biden administration only minimal prior notice before the airstrike that killed Hezbollah chairman Hassan Nasrallah Friday.
A squadron of Israeli F-16I fighter jets pounded Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut on Friday, dropping over 80 bombs, including heavy bunker busters, on the complex’s fortified subterranean saferooms.
While Israel did inform the U.S. prior to the strike itself, the notice was reportedly given only minutes before the bombings began and after the fighter planes were already airborne and en route to their target.
While Israeli Defense Minister Gallant has since October 7th consistently kept Austin updated on major military actions, recently, Israel has at times declined to inform the Biden administration of impending actions, including a string of pager and radio bombings earlier this month targeting thousands of Hezbollah operatives.
According to senior American officials, the Biden administration had no foreknowledge of the attacks.
Nevertheless, Gallant and Austin have met more frequently than some of their predecessors due to the continuous crises brought on by the war, and they have maintained an exceptionally high level of communication, speaking by phone over 125 times, sometimes multiple times a day.
Despite the strong rapport that has developed between them, Austin was reportedly incensed by the last-minute notice of the Nasrallah operation.
The core issue for Austin and the Biden administration throughout the conflict has been preventing a wider regional war, particularly one involving Hezbollah. Washington has repeatedly urged Israel to exercise restraint to avoid escalating tensions into a larger confrontation.
In this instance, it appears Israel intentionally delayed informing the U.S. to avoid diplomatic pushback that might have pressured them to reconsider the operation.
The decision to proceed without early coordination, especially given the expected U.S. opposition to such a high-risk move, further fueled Austin’s personal frustration with Gallant, even though he generally views Gallant as one of the more pragmatic and reliable figures in Netanyahu’s government, known for respecting U.S. counsel more than others.
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