US Defence Secretary speaks with Israeli counterpart, receive updates on Gaza operations
Nov 06, 2023
Washington, DC [US], November 6 : US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant to receive updates on Israel's ongoing operations in Gaza.
During the call, Austin reiterated his commitment to Israel's right to defend itself and emphasised on protecting civilians as well as aid delivery.
"Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant today to receive updates on Israel's operations in Gaza," the US Department of Defence said in an official release.
"The Secretary reiterated his ironclad commitment to Israel's right to defend itself and emphasized the importance of both protecting civilians and delivering humanitarian assistance. He reaffirmed the US commitment to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this conflict," the release read.
Since the start, the US has extended its unwavering support to Israel in its war against Hamas. US President Joe Biden also visited the war-torn nation to express his solidarity with the nation last month. Moreover, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, too made a solidarity visit to Israel with a team of officials.
The Israeli military continues to maintain a blockade and launch airstrikes on the Gaza Strip in response to a cross-border terrorist attack initiated by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
Moreover, the United States military on Monday announced that a guided missile submarine has arrived in West Asia.
The US Central Command took to its social media 'X', and stated that an Ohio-class submarine arrived in the US Central Command area of responsibility on November 5.
The post was accompanied by a picture which appears to show a guided missile submarine in the Suez Canal passing under the Al Salam Bridge northeast of Cairo.
According to CNN, the arrival of the submarine seemed intended to display a message of deterrence clearly directed at regional adversaries like Iran and its proxies as the Biden administration tries to avoid a broader conflict amid the Israel-Hamas war.
The submarine joins a number of other US Navy assets already in the area, including two carrier strike groups and an amphibious ready group, according to CNN.
