Lloyd Austin tells Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant not to invade Rafah until civilians secure

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday warned his Israeli counterpart that any heavy incursion to take out Hamas' remaining battalions inside Rafah should be delayed until the safety of about 1.5 million Palestinian civilians there can be secured.

Israel Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, right, speaks during a joint statement with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Dec. 18, 2023. The Pentagon says Austin will meet with Gallant on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, and discuss …

“A military operation should not proceed without a credible and implementable plan that ensures safety and humanitarian support for civilians,” a senior Defense Department official later told reporters at the Pentagon. “The military aspect of the operation should not proceed until the humanitarian aspects have been fulsomely addressed.”

Decapitating the Hamas leadership inside Gaza, along with the freeing of the estimated 100 hostages still held by the military group, has been a prime objective of the Israeli retaliatory offensive. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Tuesday that Israeli intelligence had confirmed the Hamas leader was killed when fighter jets struck an underground compound in central Gaza between March 9 and 10.

“There have been far too many civilian casualties in Gaza and Rafah,” said the senior Defense Department official. Mr. Austin “expressed our goal to help

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