00:00Good afternoon.
00:06At the risk of disappointing everyone, I don't have any opening comments, so Matt, you can
00:11start us.
00:12I don't know.
00:13Disappointing us.
00:14That was a bit facetious on my part, perhaps.
00:16Okay.
00:17All right.
00:18So let's just start in the Middle East.
00:19One, can you tell us what you're expecting out of this meeting from Dermer and the Secretary?
00:27Yeah.
00:28So later this afternoon, the Secretary will meet with Ron Dermer, Minister for Strategic
00:33Affairs for the Government of Israel, and Saki Hinegbi, the National Security Advisor.
00:38He will discuss our ongoing work to try to reach a ceasefire that will secure the release
00:43of all hostages with surge humanitarian assistance.
00:46They will discuss the situation in the north of Lebanon – or I'm sorry, in the north
00:49of Israel along the border with Lebanon.
00:51They will discuss our ongoing work, even absent trying to secure a ceasefire, to get humanitarian
00:57assistance into Gaza and work that needs to be done to accelerate and improve that
01:01process, among, of course, a host of other issues that we discuss every time we meet
01:06with people from the Government of Israel.
01:08Okay.
01:09Well, when it relates to the, quote-unquote, north of Lebanon –
01:13Israel.
01:14I believe I corrected it.
01:15Well, I know.
01:16The north of Israel, yes.
01:17But you want to talk about the north of –
01:18South of Lebanon.
01:19We can talk about the north of Lebanon if you want.
01:22Sure.
01:23But let's talk about –
01:24You can probably tell me about your trips to it.
01:25I'm sure you can.
01:27Let's talk about the north of Israel on the Lebanese border.
01:32What is the situation there, as you understand it?
01:35Is there some kind of – is there some kind of operation that's going to be mounted
01:41anytime soon?
01:42And if there is, what do you think of it?
01:44So we have made quite clear that we do not want to see escalation of this conflict.
01:51Hezbollah has increased the number of cross-border attacks over the past few weeks.
01:55We've seen dramatic attacks targeting civilian communities.
01:58Matt, I hate to interrupt.
02:01There's a big cockroach on the wall over your head there.
02:04So maybe need a – well, defer that to – no insecticide or roachicide in the briefing, Matt.
02:15I'll go get it as soon as you finish.
02:17Yeah.
02:18I'm sorry to be distracted, but that's a rather large one.
02:21Do I have to get rid of it now?
02:24No.
02:25No.
02:26Let me go ahead and finish.
02:27We've seen a dramatic increase in attacks across the border.
02:30I shouldn't have said anything, because now the room is going to have a hard time
02:33focusing on the very important messages I have to deliver here.
02:40Back to where we were.
02:41Back to where we were.
02:44We've been extremely concerned about the situation in the north of Israel, as I said.
02:48We don't want to see the conflict escalate.
02:51We have seen a dramatic increase in strikes by Hezbollah across the border targeting Israeli
02:56villages, civilian infrastructure.
03:01And so we have been pursuing a diplomatic resolution to try to make clear that there
03:05should be no further escalation, and that's what we'll continue to pursue.
03:08Well, yeah, but I mean, have you told them, the Israelis or the Lebanese, that – well,
03:17have you told them anything?
03:18So we've had intensive conversations with both governments about this.
03:23In our conversations with the Government of Israel, which I'll speak to – and I'm
03:26sure the Secretary will go over with the two representatives from the government who are
03:30here today – we have made clear that our preference is to see a diplomatic resolution.
03:34And they have said to us that they want to see a diplomatic resolution to this conflict,
03:41and that's what we're going to continue to try to pursue.
03:42Have the Israelis told you that they're about to launch some kind of a strike in –
03:47They have not.
03:49Solves that problem.
03:55Right.
03:56I mean, is that the –
03:58I'm not going to engage in – I'm not going to engage in any metaphors related here.
04:03I think we're – I think we're – you're going to –
04:06No, well, I mean, so have you told the Israelis that you're going to – that you will support
04:16them or help them if they decide to go in?
04:18We have made clear that we want to see a diplomatic resolution.
04:20Well, look, that's not what I'm asking.
04:22I think I will leave it at that.
04:24All right.
04:25Thanks.
04:26That's it?
04:27Yeah.
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