US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as they make brief statements to the media at The Kirya, Israel’s Ministry of Defense, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 16, 2023. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERS
US officials rebutted assertions that they have stopped sharing intelligence with Israel, but confirmed it has not directly supported its current fight against the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon.
“A U.S. official tells me U.S. didn’t cut off intelligence sharing with Israel and stressed any such reports are false,” Axios reporter Barack Ravid wrote on Twitter/X on Thursday.
He quoted his source as saying “We [the US] have robust intelligence sharing with Israel and that continues.” However, the official notes, “We have not provided operational support to Israel’s current operations against Hezbollah, but that’s different than what is being alleged.”
Michael Oren, the former Israeli Ambassador to the US, had previously written on Twitter/X that “The media is reporting that the White House is refusing to supply Israel with intelligence vital to winning our life-and-death struggle with Hezbollah.”
“I sincerely hope that these reports are wrong. Failure to stand foursquare with Israel against Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization that has killed hundreds of Americans and is fully backed by Iran and Russia, will send a devastating message about America’s dependability as an ally,” Oren continued. “Our common enemies will rejoice.”
The controversy and confusion over the extent to which the US is currently helping Israel comes amid rising tensions between the two countries.
In response to an international push — led by the US and France — for a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, top Israeli leaders made it clear in public statements earlier this week that there will not be one.
“There will be no ceasefire in the north,” Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Katz posted on X/Twitter on Thursday. “We will continue to fight against the terrorist organization Hezbollah with all our might until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a similar stance, saying “Our policy is clear: We continue to hit Hezbollah with all our might.” He continued, “We will not stop until we achieve all of our goals, first of all returning the residents of the north safely to their homes.”
These statements came in response to a joint statement put out by the US, along with many European and Arab nations. The US alleged that Israel knew what would be in that statement and, in private, had agreed to a 21-day temporary ceasefire. Consequently, when the Israeli leaders were vocal that there would be no such ceasefire, it took the US by surprise.
Since Oct. 8, Hezbollah has launched more than 8,000 rockets at Israel, displacing 60,000 civilians who live in the norther portion of the country. Israel has escalated with Hezbollah in recent weeks in an effort to push the terrorist group, which aims to destroy Israel, away from its territory and to allow its citizens to return to their homes.
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