Israeli Military Commanders Speak With American Military Leaders; World Leaders Condemn Iranian Attack

By Hamodia Staff

Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, Chief of the General Staff, spoke Sunday morning with General Michael Erik Kurilla, Commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) to express his country’s great appreciation for the joint defensive effort in thwarting and intercepting the Iranian attack toward Israel.

Halevi added that the close cooperation between the two militaries throughout the war has led to the formation of a strong defensive coalition that proved itself last night. The Chief of the General Staff asked General Kurilla to convey his deep appreciation to the U.S. forces for their cooperation and high-quality effort.

Later on Sunday evening, Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant held a call with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in which he briefed the Secretary of Defense on the preliminary conclusions of the IDF’s defensive operations in cooperation with the United States and additional partners, in thwarting the missile attack conducted by Iran overnight.

The attack included the launch of hundreds of types of munition by Iran, including 100 ballistic missiles – each one carrying hundreds of kilograms of explosives.

Minister Gallant expressed his deep appreciation to the Secretary for his leadership, and the unparalleled cooperation and coordination demonstrated by the defense establishments and militaries of both countries, together with international partners.

Gallant highlighted the opportunity to establish an international coalition and strategic alliance to counter the threat posed by Iran – a state that threatens to place nuclear warheads on its missiles.

The Defense Minister emphasized that Israel’s defense establishment remains alert and prepared to face additional threats, including ongoing operations in Gaza, and efforts to release the hostages held by Hamas.

During the day, President Biden spoke by phone with His Majesty King Abdullah II about the situation in the Middle East, strongly condemning the attack launched by Iran that also threatened Jordan and the Jordanian people.

Both leaders noted that they continue to monitor the situation and will remain in close touch over the coming days. They also discussed the situation in Gaza, and reaffirmed their cooperation to increase critical humanitarian assistance to Gaza and to find a path to end the crisis as soon as possible.

In a statement released by the G7, which includes the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada, the leaders of the G7 unequivocally condemned in the strongest terms Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack against Israel.

“We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security,” the statement read.

“With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided. We will continue to work to stabilize the situation and avoid further escalation. In this spirit, we demand that Iran and its proxies cease their attacks, and we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives.

The G7 statement ended by stressing that it will continue to work towards an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas, and deliver increased humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need.