Austin believes casualties in all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah could ‘equal or exceed’ those in Gaza

(CNN) — US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Friday of “devastating” consequences if Israel engages in an all-out war with Hezbollah, telling CNN in an exclusive interview that casualties would “equal or exceed” the number in Gaza.

“An all-out war between Lebanese, Hezbollah and Israel would be devastating for both Lebanon and Israel. And again, we anticipate that we’d see a number of people displaced, casualties that, you know, equal or exceed what we’ve seen in Gaza,” Austin told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.

The defense secretary, reiterating the US desire for a “diplomatic solution,” also said a possible ground incursion by Israeli forces into Lebanon risks spiraling the situation into a regional conflict.

The US and several prominent allies believed they had achieved a 21-day pause in fighting that would give time for diplomacy and could prevent a full-fledged war from breaking out between Israel and Hezbollah. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said reports of an imminent deal were “incorrect” and vowed to continue to hit the Iran-backed militant group “with all our might.” Netanyahu spoke at the United Nations General Assembly Friday morning, where he vowed to continue Israel’s military efforts and warned that “there is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach.”

US-led efforts to secure a ceasefire appear to have failed, and CNN has reported that the Biden administration has all but paused a push for a ceasefire and hostage deal in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Asked by Blitzer if continued US aid to Israel undermines Washington’s efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon, Austin on Friday reiterated the long-standing alliance.

“We’ve been clear from the very beginning that that we’re going to support Israel in its efforts to defend itself,” Austin said. “We’ve done that from the very beginning, and we’re going to continue to do that going forward.”

Recent hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah began after Israel decided to make returning displaced residents to their homes near the northern border an official goal of its war aims. Tens of thousands of Israelis who live in the area were evacuated shortly after the October 2023 Hamas terrorist attack, when Hezbollah began firing rockets into the region. In recent days, Israel has launched a series of strikes that have targeted Hezbollah’s leadership, and Israel’s military chief said earlier this week that the nation was preparing for a possible ground incursion into Lebanon.

Austin also was asked by Blitzer about US support for Ukraine, whose president, Volodymyr Zelensky, met with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday and is meeting with former President Donald Trump on Friday. Amid ongoing debates in Washington about continued aid to the eastern European nation — especially if Trump, who has been skeptical about such support, is elected — the US is under pressure to allow Ukraine to fire long-range weapons deep into Russia.

Austin said US policy about the use and range of certain weapons has not changed but said the US can’t dictate how Ukraine should use “their” weapons.

“What we’ve seen recently is that Ukraine has the ability to now produce its own weaponry in terms of (unmanned aerial vehicles) that are proving to be very, very effective in that fight,” Austin said. “And some of these UAVs can range out beyond 400 kilometers, which is beyond the range of (US-provided Army Tactical Missile Systems) or Storm Shadow or anything else that we would be able to provide them.”

He also declined to answer a question from Blitzer about whether US policy toward Ukraine has been “irreversibly politicized” in the wake of Republican reluctance to continue arming the US ally.

“Our focus will remain on making sure that we’re giving Ukraine everything that we can provide, that will prove effective in this fight,” he said.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

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