US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that his country will continue to supply Israel with the weapons and ammunition it needs in its war on the Gaza Strip, stressing that he did not impose any timetable or conditions on Israel for its aggression against the Strip.
The American minister pointed out in a press conference held in Tel Aviv with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) should not be able to “export terrorism from Gaza to Israel again,” in reference to the Al-Aqsa Flood Battle.
This was emphasized by Gallant, who considered that Israel’s “existence” would be “at stake” if Hamas was not “dismantled,” noting that Israel is working to ensure that “Hamas will not be able to threaten Israel’s security in the future.”
During his second visit to Tel Aviv since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, Austin explained that Washington did not dictate to its ally “any time frame for the end of the military operation in Gaza,” indicating that this war is “Israel’s operation.”
The American minister had arrived in Israel earlier today, Monday, and met with members of the War Council in Tel Aviv to discuss developments in the current phase of the war, the expected steps to move to the next phase, and “the progress that Israel is making” in Gaza.
In the context of the United States’ efforts to mitigate the wave of criticism it was subjected to for its absolute support of Israel in its aggression against Gaza, the American minister called for the necessity of “stopping extremist settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank.”
He also pointed out the necessity of “protecting civilians and bringing humanitarian aid into Gaza,” stressing that protecting civilians in Gaza is a “moral duty,” and at the same time stressed “Israel’s right to defend itself,” he said.
Austin – who was accompanied during his visit by US Chief of Staff Charles Brown – held discussions in Tel Aviv with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Gallant and Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy.
The Israeli Army Radio correspondent stated that Gallant reviewed with his American counterpart a list of names of Hamas leaders targeted for assassination and others that had been liquidated.
Yemen and Lebanon
In a related matter, the US Secretary of Defense said that Washington will do everything necessary to ensure freedom of maritime navigation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
He stressed that the United States is working to form an international coalition to intervene to prevent any attacks in the Red Sea region, in response to the attacks by the Ansar Allah Houthi group on several ships heading to Israel and the suspension of several maritime transport companies from passing through Bab al-Mandab.
In the same context, Austin said that he stressed to his counterpart Gallant “our joint commitment to confronting the threats supported by Iran in the region.”
He stated that his country does not want “to see this conflict expand into a larger war or a regional war, and we call on Hezbollah to ensure that it does not do things that would cause a broader conflict.”
Gallant echoed the US minister’s statements to confirm that Israel would not hesitate “to launch an attack on the northern front if the diplomatic option fails.” “We hope that Hezbollah realizes the consequences of what it is doing,” Gallant said.
Austin’s visit came days after US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed to reporters during his visit to Tel Aviv that Israel “intends to move to a new phase of the war, with a focus on using more precise means to target Hamas’ leadership.”
Austin’s tour of the region is scheduled to include Qatar and Bahrain.
Since last October 7, the Israeli occupation army has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip with absolute American support, resulting in the martyrdom of more than 19,000 Palestinians and the injury of more than 51,000, most of whom are children and women.