Israeli Defense Minister: According to Anadolu Agency, the Pentagon announced on Saturday that Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will visit the US “soon” to meet with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, though a specific date has not yet been confirmed.
During his call June 11 with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, @SecDef invited him to visit the Pentagon to further discuss ongoing security developments in the Middle East. Minister Gallant has accepted the invitation and will travel to the U.S. soon (date/time TBD).
— Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder (@PentagonPresSec) June 15, 2024
Spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder stated on X that “Minister Gallant has accepted the invitation and will travel to the US soon (date/time TBD).”
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According to a statement, the defence chiefs met on Tuesday to discuss steps to defuse tensions near the Israel-Lebanon border “in the wake of Lebanese Hizballah’s increased aggression.”
Austin praised Gallant for the successful capture of four Israeli captives by Hamas, which resulted in the deaths of at least 274 Palestinians and more than 700 injuries.
According to Middle East Monitor, a Pentagon spokeswoman responded to a question on Thursday regarding the number of Palestinian civilians who died during the hostage operation by saying that the US is “deeply concerned” about some of the claims.
“We’re concerned about it. Other than the phone call readout, I don’t have anything more to add.” Sabrina Singh, the deputy press secretary, told the press.
Since Hamas attacked Gaza on October 7, 2023, Israel has been criticized for its harsh offensive, even though the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for a quick end to the fighting.
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Local health officials say that since then, over 85,000 Palestinians have been hurt and about 37,300 have died in Gaza. Most of those killed were women and children.
Large swathes of Gaza lay in ruins more than eight months into the Israeli-Gaza conflict, with a debilitating shortage of food, potable water, and medical supplies.
The International Court of Justice has accused Israel of genocide and ordered Tel Aviv to immediately cease operations in Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians had sought safety from the fighting before it was attacked on May 6.
