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.
Austin, the official said, has “had experience in these transitions. He has confidence in the professionalism…
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