US, Israel Have ‘Moral Imperative’ to Protect Palestinian Civilians: Defense Secretary Austin

Israel and the United States have a “moral imperative” and a “shared strategic interest” in protecting Palestinian civilians amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on March 26. Mr. Austin made the comments during a meeting at the Pentagon with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, where they explored a range of issues from military operations in Rafah and the worsening humanitarian situation across Gaza to threats to regional security. Calling Hamas’s Oct. 7 incursion into Israel the “worst day in Israel’s history,” Mr. Austin said, “No country should endure such terror, and no country would tolerate such danger.”...