Tel Aviv: US defence secretary Lloyd Austin told top Israeli leaders that protecting civilians was a “strategic imperative” for their ground and air campaign in Gaza, as pressure grows on Israel to scale back the war. Austin, making his second visit to Israel since the deadly Hamas-led October 7 attacks, met with PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, and other top officials to discuss in detail how Israeli forces will transition to the next phase of the war.
The Biden administration envisions that the next phase would involve smaller groups of elite forces that would move in and out of population centers in Gaza, conducting more precise, intelligence-driven missions to find and kill Hamas leaders, rescue hostages and destroy tunnels.
Speaking to reporters after daylong meetings in Tel Aviv, Austin called US support for Israel “unshakable”, and endorsed Israel’s campaign to destroy Hamas’s ability to wage military operations. But he also repeated a message he has often made of late: Israel would be left less secure if its combat operations turn more Palestinians in support of Hamas. “Israel has every right to defend itself,” he said, standing alongside Gallant. “As I’ve said, protecting Palestinian civilians in Gaza is both a moral duty and a strategic imperative.”
Austin’s comments came a day after Netanyahu vowed to “fight to the end” in Gaza even as public outcry over the Israeli military’s accidental killings of three hostages raised new questions about how the military is conducting the war.
Gazan health authorities say nearly 20,000 people have been killed in the enclave since October 7, when the Hamas-led raids into Israel killed an estimated 1,200 people.