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24 October 2024•Update: 24 October 2024
WASHINGTON
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that Israel’s failure to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip could lead to a generation of Palestinians resistant to cooperation with Israel.
During remarks to reporters in Rome, Austin said he regularly discusses the importance of protecting civilians and providing humanitarian aid with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant.
"We’ve got to be more precise in our operations, and we have to make sure that we're doing what's necessary to get assistance and aid into the civilians," said Austin.
"Failure to do that will create a generation of Palestinians that really will continue to resist cooperating with Israel in the future. So, you're actually increasing the numbers of insurgents in the space if you fail to do that," said the defense chief. "It's a strategic imperative, in my view.”
The Israeli army has continued a brutal offensive on Gaza since an attack last year by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire
Nearly 42,800 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 100,400 injured, according to local health authorities.
The onslaught has displaced almost the territory’s entire population amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.
Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.
