In their latest phone call, Defense Minister of Israel Yoav Gallant and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “discussed Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and preparations for the stabilization phase that will follow major combat operations”.

According to the statement of Pentagon, Austin “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”.

The parties “also discussed threats to regional security, including Hezbollah’s destabilizing 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”.