Israel-Palestine War: After Blinken, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin reaches Tel Aviv

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Israel Friday for a visit aimed at showing solidarity with a country still reeling from a devastating Hamas attack that has left thousands dead.

Austin will meet with officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant during the visit to Israel — his third as Pentagon chief — which follows one by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The war between Israel and Hamas has entered the seventh day and has left 2,800 people dead since 7 October. At least 27 American citizens have been killed in the war while another 14 remain missing, National Security Council spokesperson Jon Kirby said.

Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State, after concluding his visit to Israel, departed for Jordan on Friday where he will meet Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and King Abdullah of Jordan.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has said the Israeli Defence Forces have warned 1.1 million Palestinians in northern Gaza to evacuate within 24 hours.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) notified the UN at midnight on Friday that the entire Palestinian population north of Wadi Gaza should relocate to Southern Gaza within 24 hours.

A UN spokesperson said the warning was delivered to team leaders of the UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the UN’s Department of Safety and Security in Gaza by their liaison officers in the IDF.

With inputs from AFP