The United States quietly backed Israel's military push against Hezbollah.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he spoke with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant on security developments and Israeli operations.
"I made it clear that the U.S. supports Israel’s right to defend itself. We agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border," Austin said.
The phone call came after the Israeli military said in a statement that it had begun "limited, localized and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence" against Hezbollah in villages in southern Lebanon close to the border that posed "an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel."
Austin reaffirmed that a diplomatic resolution is required to ensure that civilians can return safely to their homes on both sides of the border.
