TEL AVIV: U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has asked Israel to protect civilians in Gaza while discussing a transition from major war to lower-intensity conflict, Western media reported on Monday.
He expressed these views during a press conference after a meeting with his Israeli counterpart.
Austin said in any campaign, there will be a phase. He said he would not dictate timelines.
He went on to say that he had discussed with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant how to reduce harm to civilians in Gaza.
Pressure was increasing on Israel to bring the ongoing violence in Gaza to an end.
In Israel, families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas during an October 7 attack renewed calls for a truce to aid their release. This request comes after Israeli forces mistakenly killed three escaped captives during combat operations in northern Gaza on Friday.
The Gaza health ministry has said that 19,453 innocent Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza war so far mostly women and children.
According to the UN some 1.87 million Palestinians, over 80 percent of Gaza’s population, have left their homes.
The war was paused for seven days as a result of a Qatar- US brokered deal during which Hamas released 105 captives, including 80 in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
US Defense Secretary Austin arrives in Tel Aviv
US Defense Secretary Austin arrived in Tel Aviv on Monday. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Austin stated that he planned to meet with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Israel’s war cabinet.
The purpose is to “reiterate America’s ironclad commitment to Israel,” discuss Israeli military operations against Hamas, and emphasize the need to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza.
In an earlier post, Austin mentioned plans to travel to Bahrain and Qatar to underscore US commitments to enhancing regional security and stability and collaborating with partners and allies to advance defense capabilities.
While the Biden administration has consistently supported Israel’s goal against Hamas, recent weeks have seen growing concern about civilian casualties in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis. Austin warned of potential strategic defeat for Israel if it didn’t reduce Palestinian casualties in a speech earlier this month.
