TEL AVIV: Pressure was increasing on Israel to bring the ongoing violence in Gaza to an end, with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expected to convey concerns from the Biden administration regarding the increasing civilian death toll among Palestinians. The United Nations Security Council is preparing for another vote this week on a resolution urging an immediate ceasefire.
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.
In the October 7 attack, Hamas had seized approximately 240 hostages. During a week-long ceasefire in November, about 100 hostages were released in exchange for approximately 300 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Since Israel’s air-and-ground offensive in response to the Hamas attack, over 19,453 Palestinian people, primarily women and children, have been killed, according to the Gaza health ministry.
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.
UN Security Council to Vote for Gaza Ceasefire
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 to “crush Hamas,” recent weeks have seen growing concern about civilian casualties in Gaza and the unfolding humanitarian crisis. Austin warned of potential “strategic defeat” for Israel if it didn’t minimize Palestinian casualties in a speech earlier this month.
