Israel defense chief postpones US visit as differences over Iran response grow

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant postponed his trip to the United States, the Pentagon confirmed on Tuesday, as differences between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Biden administration grow over Israel’s retaliatory plans against Iran.

The visit, originally scheduled for Wednesday, is now delayed. "I don't have a sense of how long the visit is postponed," Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said on Tuesday. Israeli media attributed the decision to conditions set by Netanyahu. Netanyahu has reportedly barred Gallant from traveling to the United States until he speaks with President Joe Biden and after Israel's security cabinet approves a response to an Iranian missile attack. Biden and Netanyahu have not spoken since August.

The change in plans comes as Israel steps up attacks in Lebanon and foreign countries accelerate the evacuation of their citizens. Turkey will start to evacuate its nationals from Lebanon on Wednesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said, as Israel increases the number of its troops in the country.

Turkey evacuating citizens from Lebanon

Turkish nationals who have applied for assistance in leaving the country will be taken from Beirut to Turkey’s Mediterranean port city of Mersin on Wednesday, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. The two Turkish navy ships en route to Beirut today have a total capacity of 2,000 passengers.

So far, roughly 2,500 Turkish citizens have applied to be evacuated from Lebanon, Turkey’s Demiroren News Agency reported, citing ministry sources. The two ships will be able to bring home all the remaining nationals who seek to leave Lebanon, the report said.

New evacuations will be organized should the need arise, according to the ministry’s statement, which added that the ships will also deliver aid to Lebanon in return trips.

A number of other countries, including China, the United Kingdom and the United States, have also evacuated their nationals from Lebanon since the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the ensuing Israeli invasion. Two State Department-organized flights took approximately 180 passengers from Beirut to Istanbul on Tuesday, according to a spokesperson.

Israeli strikes on Syria

On Tuesday night an Israeli strike on the Mazzeh area of Damascus killed seven civilians and wounded 11 more, Syria's state news agency, SANA, reported. Israeli aircraft launched three missiles, targeting a residential and commercial building, the outlet said.

Saudi news channel Al-Hadath reported that the strike targeted a Hezbollah commander in Unit 4400, which, among other tasks, oversees weapons and funds transfers from Iran to the group.

Israel deploying new brigade

The escalation comes as Israeli military announced it was deploying another division to Lebanon after the militant group launched its largest rocket barrage yet at the Israeli city of Haifa on Wednesday.

Later on Wednesday, however, Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qassem announced the militant group was supporting cease-fire efforts led by a prominent Shiite politician and Lebanon’s parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, who is also the leader of the Hezbollah-allied Amal party. “We support the political efforts that Nabih Berri is undertaking towards a cease-fire," Qassem was quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse in a televised speech.

Qassem did not condition a possible cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah on the fate of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Berri, along with caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, has been working on a cease-fire between the Jewish state and Hezbollah, and met with US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson, according to Lebanon's official news agency, NNA.

More than 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon in the clashes between Hezbollah and Israel since Nasrallah's killing, according to Lebanese Health Ministry figures. 

This is a developing story and has been updated since publication.