Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will push Israeli officials to define milestones for its war against Hamas in Gaza, marking the second visit of a top Biden administration official to the region aimed at communicating US expectations as civilian casualties mount.
In Israel on Monday, a senior Defense Department official said Austin will “receive specific updates on how the war cabinet minister of defense, (Yoav) Gallant, and the Israel Defense Forces assess their progress in the current phase of the campaign in Gaza to dismantle the military infrastructure of Hamas.”
Austin, the official added, will press Israeli officials on “what metrics they’re looking at in order to transition to the next phase of their campaign in Gaza,” noting that he will work to “drill down” on efforts to increase humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza and will also work to mitigate harm to civilians.
The trip comes days after President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters in Tel Aviv that Israel intends to transition to a new phase of war that is focused on “more precise ways” of targeting Hamas leadership.
Austin will specifically press Israeli leaders on how to move through the different phases of its campaign in Gaza and to define specific operational milestones.
“(Israel’s) security establishment, I think, is assessing those conditions and their progress against those conditions on an hourly, if not daily, basis. And Secretary Austin will want to hear a very clear articulation of their self-assessment when he’s there on Monday,” the official said, adding that the US is there “to consult and ensure that there is planning taking place” for a transition to a phase when major ground operations cease.
Ahead of Austin’s visit, Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Sunday that the US’ message to reduce civilian casualties is not “getting through clearly enough” to Israel.
“We do have unacceptably high levels of civilian casualties. We see very loose rules of engagement – way looser than anything the United States would exercise,” Van Hollen said on ABC’s This Week.
Austin, the official said, has “had experience in these transitions. He has confidence in the professionalism of the Israeli Defense Forces and in the professionalism of their leaders. So he is there to ask questions and learn about their plan.”
Monday’s trip marks Austin’s second visit to Israel since October 7, and he has consulted closely with Gallant, his Israeli counterpart. The two have spoken 27 times since the early October attacks.
The secretary will also make stops in Bahrain and Qatar this week, continuing efforts to strengthen US relationships in the region. Among the topics of discussion in Bahrain, the official said, is continued aggression in the Red Sea from the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Austin’s view of the continued “acute threat,” the official said, is that it is a “global issue” and one that “threatens the free flow of commerce and freedom of navigation.”
The US has held military-level discussions regarding the Houthis, and Austin will emphasize Iran’s role in the aggression.
“The Iranians are playing a deeply destabilizing role. It has been well documented for years that the Iranians have armed, trained, funded, and equipped the Houthis, who have quite sophisticated military capabilities,” the Defense official said, adding that Austin will communicate to Bahrain’s leaders that “it is also the responsibility of the world to call out Iran.”
The official confirmed China has naval warships in the region.
And in Qatar, Austin will emphasize the country’s “critical role” in communicating with Hamas to secure the release of hostages last month, expressing “gratitude” to the country for its partnership.
