Israeli Defense Minister Warns Hezbollah: We Can Return Lebanon to the 'Stone Age'

Yoav Gallant, the Israeli Defense Minister, warned on Wednesday during a trip to the United States that his country's army is capable of returning Lebanon to the 'Stone Age' in any war with Hezbollah militants, but emphasized that the Netanyahu government prefers a diplomatic solution at the Israel-Lebanon border. Gallant told reporters at the end of his four-day visit to the United States: 'We do not want war, but we are preparing for every scenario. Hezbollah knows well that if a war breaks out, we can inflict massive damage on Lebanon.' Gallant also mentioned that he has discussed his proposals for managing Gaza after the war with senior American officials, local Palestinian partners, and the United States, but he stated that this will be a long and complex process. The meeting of senior defense officials from the U.S. and Israel took place amid rising border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, which is supported by the Islamic Republic, in recent weeks, fueling international concerns about the Islamic Republic and its proxy groups joining the war and its expansion. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, during a meeting with his Israeli counterpart on Tuesday, described the Iranian government as 'the source of much violence and instability in the region' and emphasized that the United States stands with Israel to ensure that the Islamic Republic never acquires nuclear weapons. The U.S. Defense Secretary stressed that Hezbollah's provocative actions could lead the people of Israel and Lebanon into a war they do not want, and such a war, according to Lloyd Austin, would be a 'disaster' for Lebanon and would harm innocent civilians in both Israel and Lebanon. Concerns about the possibility of Tehran acquiring nuclear weapons have led Israel to reactivate its 'Iran Nuclear Program' task force. Iraqi militants targeted the port of Eilat in Israel; an attack on a ship in the Gulf of Aden. The likelihood of war between Israel and Hezbollah has increased; Erdogan: We support Lebanon.