Gallant has last official conversation with US defense secretary

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s outgoing defense minister, Yoav Gallant, has held his last official conversation with his U.S. counterpart.

Gallant developed a close relationship with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin throughout the war, and the two men speak several times a week.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week fired Gallant.

In a statement, Gallant said he thanked Austin for his “partnership and deep commitment” to the countries’ defense ties. “Our special bond must remain powerful and unshakeable.”

France’s top diplomat urged action in the coming weeks toward a political solution to the wars in the Mideast.

Visiting Israel, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Thursday that President-elect Donald Trump has ″never hid his wish to end the interminable wars in the Middle East.”

“So the conditions seem right to me to move in the coming weeks toward a diplomatic solution to the current conflict. Because force alone cannot suffice to guarantee Israel’s security,” Barrot said.

The Israeli army said it will punish a soldier seen in a video circulating on social media firing a heavy machine gun indiscriminately in the Gaza Strip to celebrate Donald Trump’s election victory.

The soldier, sitting on the ground, turns to the camera and smiles, saying “This is on the occasion of Donald Trump’s presidency. God bless America! God bless Israel!”

The Israeli army said the soldier’s actions are “severe” and do not align with its values.

“The soldier will be disciplined by his commanders,” the statement said, giving no further details.

Israel has reached an agreement to purchase 25 advanced F-15 fighter jets from U.S. aerospace giant Boeing for $5.2 billion.

The Defense Ministry said the agreement, concluded Wednesday, was part of a broader aid package approved by the U.S. government earlier this year. Deliveries will begin in 2031, and there’s an option to purchase an additional 25 aircraft.

The Israeli military said it will allow 300 truckloads of humanitarian aid supplied by the United Arab Emirates to enter the Gaza Strip in the coming days.

COGAT, the military body in charge of civilian affairs in Gaza, said the aid was brought in by sea and unloaded at the Israeli port of Ashdod, just north of Gaza. It said the shipment, which includes food, water, medical equipment, shelter and hygiene supplies, would be inspected before being trucked into Gaza, though it did not specify a date.

Also Thursday, the Israeli military announced it expanded its month-old ground operation in northern Gaza to include part of Beit Lahiya, a town that has been heavily bombed since the earliest days of the war and where Israel says Hamas terrorists have regrouped.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Thursday its alliance of terrorist groups opposed to Israel remains strong despite the killing of many of their senior leaders.

The report on Iranian state TV quoted Khamenei as saying that Hamas and other “leaders of the resistance” are “still fighting” even though some of their leaders have been killed by intensified Israel airstrikes.