U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin shakes hands with Haim Regev, Israel's ambassador to NATO and the EU, during a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, Oct. 12, 2023. (NATO)
The U.S. is not putting any special restrictions on how weapons being delivered to Israel can be used in its war against Hamas, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday as the Israeli military prepares for a likely ground offensive in Gaza.
“This is a professional military, led by professional leadership, and we would hope and expect that they would do the right things in the prosecution of their campaign,” Austin said at the end of high-level discussions at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
Austin and allied defense chiefs were briefed Thursday by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who presented them with images of the carnage caused by Hamas’ attack, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel, including at least 25 Americans.
“Allies strongly condemned Hamas’ indefensible attacks on civilians, and called for the immediate release of all hostages,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg attend a meeting with NATO defense ministers in Brussels, Oct. 12, 2023. The defense chiefs were briefed by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Hamas deadly attack on Israel. (NATO)
But as the war has unfolded, Muslim countries in the region and some human rights organizations have criticized Israel for the scale of its retaliation. The bombardment of Gaza has turned many areas into rubble, raising concerns for civilian welfare. At least 1,417 people have been killed in Gaza since the latest war began, health authorities there said Thursday.
Israel has vowed to move forward with the bombing campaign and is expected soon to launch a ground invasion. Their goal is to annihilate Hamas, which has launched rockets and attacks on civilians in Israel for decades.
Austin said the U.S. is committed to getting Israel what it needs to defend itself. And while he said the response should be proportionate, Austin declined to define what that means.
“We’re moving rapidly to provide Israel what it needs to continue to protect its citizens and to protect its territory,” Austin said.
For Israel, the attacks by Hamas amount to the largest killing of Jewish civilians since the Holocaust. The country’s military and political leaders also have emphasized the brutality of Hamas’ attack, which involved burning victims alive, beheading babies and slaughtering entire families.
Austin said the U.S. is ready to support Israel “in any way that we can.”
“We’ve not placed any conditions on the provision of this equipment ... and we will make sure that we will leave it to them to define what their operations are going to look like.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg meets with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin for a bilateral meeting in Brussels, Oct. 12, 2023. Austin said the U.S. is committed to providing Israel what it needs to defend itself in the wake of Hamas' recent attack on its territory. (NATO)
