Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant brief Lloyd Austin on IDF preparations ahead of expected ground incursion

Amid the war with Hamas, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held another telephonic conversation with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to update him on the latest efforts to restore security of Israeli citizens by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) following the October 7 onslaught by the Palestinian terror group.

During the phone call, Austin emphasised on the importance of Israel’s role in facilitating the humanitarian aid from Gaza and working to protect civilians during the fighting, a readout by the US Department of Defense stated.

“Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant by phone today to receive updates on Israel’s operations to restore security following the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks. Secretary Austin underscored the importance of Israel’s role in facilitating the humanitarian convoys October 21-22 into Gaza and emphasized the importance of civilian protection,” the US Department of Defense said in the readout.

Both the leaders also discussed the United States’ continued provision of security assistance and reviewed actions the Department of Defense is taking to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this war.

The Israel-Hamas war entered its 18th day on Tuesday. Since Hamas launched its assault on Israel, at least 1,400 people in Israel were killed and more than 200 were taken as hostages.

Meanwhile, health authorities in Gaza said over 5,000 people have been killed since the October 7 start of the war. More than 15,000 have been injured, the authorities said.

With inputs from agencies