US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Israel on Monday for his second visit since the outbreak of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. He will meet with members of the War Council in Tel Aviv to discuss the current phase's developments and the expected steps to transition to the next stage.
An accompanying defense official stated that Secretary Austin, during his tour, would listen to the latest updates on the Israeli government's assessment of the progress made in Gaza.
He highlighted that the Defense Secretary would raise questions to Israeli officials about the criteria they follow to move on to the next phase.
The American official clarified that Austin aims to explore specific details regarding "Israeli plans for cooperation with the international community" in an attempt to increase humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza, as well as to understand the measures Israel is taking to minimize harm to civilians during the ongoing ground operation.
The US official announced that the current military campaign, which has seen escalating violence and aerial bombardment, would not continue indefinitely, and it is difficult to imagine the current phase lasting over the next year.
Regarding military aid to Israel, the American defense official mentioned tangible threats related to air defense and the United States' interest in supplying the Israeli forces with precision munitions, aiming for their responsible use and mitigating potential civilian harm.
America Supports "Israel's Right to Self-Defense"
The US Department of Defense "Pentagon" announced last Thursday that General Charles Q. Brown, Chief of Staff, would join Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in the scheduled meetings in Israel in the coming days.
Pentagon spokesperson, Patrick Ryder, during a press briefing, said that the upcoming visit would be General Charles Q. Brown's first to the Middle East since his appointment as the Chief of the Joint Staff.
He added, "During his stay in Israel, Defense Secretary Austin will meet the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense to reaffirm the United States' steady support for Israel's right to self-defense, emphasizing the importance of civilian safety during operations and the necessity of increasing humanitarian aid delivery."
Austin's visit comes days after Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Advisor, confirmed to journalists 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 in the region will also include Qatar and Bahrain.
Since October 7th, the Israeli army has waged a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, which had resulted until December 15th in the death of 18,800 Palestinians and the injury of 51,000, most of them children and women. The war has caused massive destruction to infrastructure and created an "unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe," according to Palestinian and international reports.
