U.S. Urges Israel to Do More to Spare Civilians in Gaza and Pushes Hostage Talks

from the New York Times

Top United States officials prodded Israel on Monday to do more to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip and sought to restart talks aimed at releasing hostages as international pressure mounted on Israel to scale back its war against Hamas.

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, making his second trip to Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, declared that U.S. support for Israeli security “remains unshakable.” But he also said that “democracies are stronger and more secure when we uphold the law of war.”

“As I’ve said, protecting Palestinian civilians in Gaza is both a moral duty and a strategic imperative,” Mr. Austin said at a news conference with Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant. “So we will continue to stand up for Israel’s bedrock right to defend itself. And we will also continue to urge the protection of civilians during conflict and to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.”...

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