In the lead-up to the Friday attack that eliminated Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, Channel 12 reports that Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu expressed reluctance to inform the Biden administration about the planned strike ahead of time. Netanyahu was reportedly concerned that the United States would attempt to intervene and prevent the operation.
According to the report, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who was pushing Netanyahu to authorize the strike, did not appear overly concerned about withholding advance notice from the Americans.
After the operation, U.S. officials were reportedly upset at being notified only shortly before the strike took place. In response, Israel is said to have sent a message to the U.S. explaining the reasoning behind its decision.
Channel 12 outlines the key points of Israel’s communication to the U.S. as follows: “We might have missed the opportunity. We didn’t want you to be [deemed] responsible by knowing ahead of time. This is a move against the entire Shiite axis. We are prepared for diplomatic contacts for an arrangement [to resolve the situation in the north] — prepared they take place under fire” — meaning, Israel would continue its strikes on Hezbollah while negotiating.
{Matzav.com Israel}