The necessity of safeguarding people in Gaza is emphasized by the US defense chief

According to the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant discussed Gaza over the phone.

During a phone chat with his Israeli counterpart on Thursday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized the need of safeguarding Gaza’s population.

According to a Pentagon statement, Austin and Yoav Gallant discussed Israel’s military assault in Gaza as well as expediting humanitarian assistance.

“Secretary Austin and Minister Gallant also discussed threats to regional security, including Hizballah’s destabilizing activities in southern Lebanon, Iran-aligned militia attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, and Houthi assaults against international commerce in the Red Sea,” according to the statement.

The United States recently stated that Israel should do more to avoid civilian losses in its struggle against the Palestinian rebel group Hamas.

Since a cross-border invasion by Hamas on Oct. 7, Israel has pummeled the Gaza Strip, leaving it in ruins, with half of the coastal territory’s homes damaged or destroyed and almost 2 million Palestinians displaced within the densely populated enclave amid acute food and clean water shortages.

According to health officials, at least 21,320 Palestinians have been killed and 55,603 have been injured since the Hamas attack, while over 1,200 Israelis are thought to have been murdered.