Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin overnight Sunday that the window for a diplomatic solution to the war against Hezbollah in Israel’s north is closing.

Speaking by phone, Gallant told his US counterpart that Hezbollah continues to align itself with Hamas and that the direction the crisis is heading is clear. He emphasized that the State of Israel is committed to distancing Hezbollah from the border so that residents of the area can safely return home.

Hezbollah rocket fire at the Upper Galil continued early on Monday. The embattled Druze village of  Majdal Shams – where 12 children were murdered by Hezbollah fire in July – shuttered its schools for the day after being targeted with heavy rocket fire in the past day.

The head of the IDF’s Northern Command Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin has recommended allowing the IDF to seize a security buffer zone in southern Lebanon.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)