Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday and discussed concerns about the safety of United Nations workers in Lebanon who say they have been targeted by Israeli troops.
Austin, who spoke to Gallant for the first time since a Wednesday in-person meeting in Washington was canceled, said in the call he supported Israel's right to defend itself but also raised concerns about the safety of peacekeepers with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).