WASHINGTON — The Pentagon's top official urged Israel's defense minister on Friday to coordinate on winding down Israel's ongoing military campaign in Lebanon "as soon as feasible" so that American diplomats can work toward a cease-fire as well as a political resolution to Lebanon's political impasse.
The call between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant offered a glimpse at fatigue within the Biden administration over the 12-day-old Israeli invasion, against which Austin had previously warned.
Israeli forces fired upon a position occupied by UN peacekeeping troops in southern Lebanon on Friday, injuring two UN personnel, after previously injuring two Indonesian UNIFIL peacekeepers a day prior when an Israeli tank fired at their outpost. The Lebanese army also said Friday that Israeli forces targeted its checkpoint in the town of Kafra, killing two Lebanese soldiers.
Israel's military issued a statement responding to UNIFIL's claim of the latest Israeli strike on one of its positions, saying Israeli troops were responding to an "immediate threat" that initial assessments said was more than 50 meters (164 feet) from the peacekeepers' outpost.
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.