State Department Reports: ‘Hezbollah Has Increased Cross Border Attacks’ At Lebanon-Israel Border

3 months ago

During a press briefing on Thursday, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller answered reporter questions on Hezbollah's attacks on Israel.

Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:

https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript

Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com

Transcript

00:00Good afternoon.

00:06At the risk of disappointing everyone, I don't have any opening comments, so Matt, you can

00:11start us.

00:12I don't know.

00:13Disappointing us.

00:14That was a bit facetious on my part, perhaps.

00:16Okay.

00:17All right.

00:18So let's just start in the Middle East.

00:19One, can you tell us what you're expecting out of this meeting from Dermer and the Secretary?

00:27Yeah.

00:28So later this afternoon, the Secretary will meet with Ron Dermer, Minister for Strategic

00:33Affairs for the Government of Israel, and Saki Hinegbi, the National Security Advisor.

00:38He will discuss our ongoing work to try to reach a ceasefire that will secure the release

00:43of all hostages with surge humanitarian assistance.

00:46They will discuss the situation in the north of Lebanon – or I'm sorry, in the north

00:49of Israel along the border with Lebanon.

00:51They will discuss our ongoing work, even absent trying to secure a ceasefire, to get humanitarian

00:57assistance into Gaza and work that needs to be done to accelerate and improve that

01:01process, among, of course, a host of other issues that we discuss every time we meet

01:06with people from the Government of Israel.

01:08Okay.

01:09Well, when it relates to the, quote-unquote, north of Lebanon –

01:13Israel.

01:14I believe I corrected it.

01:15Well, I know.

01:16The north of Israel, yes.

01:17But you want to talk about the north of –

01:18South of Lebanon.

01:19We can talk about the north of Lebanon if you want.

01:22Sure.

01:23But let's talk about –

01:24You can probably tell me about your trips to it.

01:25I'm sure you can.

01:27Let's talk about the north of Israel on the Lebanese border.

01:32What is the situation there, as you understand it?

01:35Is there some kind of – is there some kind of operation that's going to be mounted

01:41anytime soon?

01:42And if there is, what do you think of it?

01:44So we have made quite clear that we do not want to see escalation of this conflict.

01:51Hezbollah has increased the number of cross-border attacks over the past few weeks.

01:55We've seen dramatic attacks targeting civilian communities.

01:58Matt, I hate to interrupt.

02:01There's a big cockroach on the wall over your head there.

02:04So maybe need a – well, defer that to – no insecticide or roachicide in the briefing, Matt.

02:15I'll go get it as soon as you finish.

02:17Yeah.

02:18I'm sorry to be distracted, but that's a rather large one.

02:21Do I have to get rid of it now?

02:24No.

02:25No.

02:26Let me go ahead and finish.

02:27We've seen a dramatic increase in attacks across the border.

02:30I shouldn't have said anything, because now the room is going to have a hard time

02:33focusing on the very important messages I have to deliver here.

02:40Back to where we were.

02:41Back to where we were.

02:44We've been extremely concerned about the situation in the north of Israel, as I said.

02:48We don't want to see the conflict escalate.

02:51We have seen a dramatic increase in strikes by Hezbollah across the border targeting Israeli

02:56villages, civilian infrastructure.

03:01And so we have been pursuing a diplomatic resolution to try to make clear that there

03:05should be no further escalation, and that's what we'll continue to pursue.

03:08Well, yeah, but I mean, have you told them, the Israelis or the Lebanese, that – well,

03:17have you told them anything?

03:18So we've had intensive conversations with both governments about this.

03:23In our conversations with the Government of Israel, which I'll speak to – and I'm

03:26sure the Secretary will go over with the two representatives from the government who are

03:30here today – we have made clear that our preference is to see a diplomatic resolution.

03:34And they have said to us that they want to see a diplomatic resolution to this conflict,

03:41and that's what we're going to continue to try to pursue.

03:42Have the Israelis told you that they're about to launch some kind of a strike in –

03:47They have not.

03:49Solves that problem.

03:55Right.

03:56I mean, is that the –

03:58I'm not going to engage in – I'm not going to engage in any metaphors related here.

04:03I think we're – I think we're – you're going to –

04:06No, well, I mean, so have you told the Israelis that you're going to – that you will support

04:16them or help them if they decide to go in?

04:18We have made clear that we want to see a diplomatic resolution.

04:20Well, look, that's not what I'm asking.

04:22I think I will leave it at that.

04:24All right.

04:25Thanks.

04:26That's it?

04:27Yeah.

State Department Reports: ‘Hezbollah Has Increased Cross Border Attacks’ At Lebanon-Israel Border

Category

Transcript

Recommended