United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held a telephone conversation with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant in which the leaders discussed the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, protection of civilians in the enclave and humanitarian aid.

In a press handout, the US Department of Defence said: “The Secretary reiterated US resolve to ensure Hamas can no longer threaten Israel’s security and underscored the importance of protecting Gaza’s civilians and accelerating humanitarian assistance.”

“Secretary Austin and Minister Gallant also discussed threats to regional security, including Hezbollah’s destabilising activities in southern Lebanon, Iran-aligned militia attacks against US forces in Iraq and Syria, and Houthi assaults against international commerce in the Red Sea,” it added.