John Jefferson
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued an ominous warning to Iranian officials during an interview with Fox News on Sunday, amid the rapid escalation of the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East.
The interview came days after Israel invaded Lebanon as part of a mission to eliminate Hezbollah, on the heels of several successful strikes against the terrorist group. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that it had killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last weekend – prompting Iran to launch 181 retaliatory missiles in response.
During an exchange with Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst on Sunday, Gallant promised that Israeli forces are considering all options in terms of its response to Iran’s attacks against Israel – even potentially striking Iranian nuclear sites.
“At the moment, everything is on the table,” the Israeli official said. “Israel will respond to the unprecedented Iranian attack in the manner of our choosing, and at the time and place of our choosing.”
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President Biden told reporters last week that he would not support a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, but said Israel had the right to act “proportionately” to Iran. On Saturday, Vice President Kamala Harris vowed to send $157 million of “additional assistance” to Lebanon, which, she claimed, is “facing an increasingly dire humanitarian situation.”
“I am concerned about the security and well-being of civilians suffering in Lebanon and will continue working to help meet the needs of all civilians there,” Harris said.
Amid the White House’s response to the IDF’s recent strikes, Gallant emphasized that he hopes the United States continues to cooperate with the Israeli military.
“It is important for us to hold discussions on strategic cooperation between our countries and defense cooperation in light of the threats posed by Iran and its proxies,” Gallant said. “We are powerful when we are aligned and I want to make sure of it.”
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Gallant also said the IDF’s recent strikes in northern Gaza were in response to terrorists planning “Oct. 7-style attacks” against Israelis.
“We have conducted counterterrorism activities in northern Gaza and in Judea and Samaria, following intel indicating that terrorists were planning Oct. 7-style attacks on Israeli citizens,” he explained. “We will operate precisely and preemptively when necessary in order to defend our citizens.”
The military official acknowledged the IDF’s “extraordinary” wins against Hezbollah in recent weeks and vowed to continue its mission. On Friday, the IDF announced that it had killed 250 Hezbollah terrorists since the ground strikes began, including several commanders.
“Israel has made extraordinary achievements against Hezbollah – we will do what it takes to defend our citizens and our sovereignty,” Gallant said. “This includes eliminating their attack capabilities, taking out leadership, and placing a weapons embargo on Hezbollah.”
Later on Sunday, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder announced that Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III will host Gallant on Wednesday.
“@SecDef will host Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at the Pentagon Oct. 9 for an official visit to discuss ongoing Middle East security developments & looks forward to welcoming the Minister back to Washington DC,” Ryder wrote.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman, Stephen Sorace and Michael Lee contributed to this report.
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