Pentagon Chief Arrives in Israel to Discuss Response to Hamas
Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of Defense, has arrived in Tel Aviv on Friday, 13 October, to meet with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a face-to-face discussion on their defence needs in response to the Islamic group Hamas.
"Just landed in Tel Aviv. Today, I’ll meet w/ Prime Minister Netanyahu, [Defence] Minister Yoav Gallant & other senior leaders to demonstrate that America’s support for Israel’s security is ironclad & talk to them face-to-face about their defence needs," Austin wrote on Twitter.
Just landed in 🇮🇱 Tel Aviv. Today, I’ll meet w/ Prime Minister @netanyahu, Minister @YoavGallant & other senior leaders to demonstrate that America’s support for Israel’s security is ironclad & talk to them face-to-face about their defense needs. We stand w/ the people of Israel. pic.twitter.com/O4y68Pckkw
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) October 13, 2023
Earlier, in a conversation with journalists, a senior US administration official said Austin was looking forward to a detailed conversation with Israeli leaders about their operational planning and goals in the conflict in response to the brutal Hamas attack, CNN reported.
On Thursday, 12 October, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv and assured the Israeli PM of Washington's support.
Blinken said the US will continue to work to ensure that no new players join the fight against Israel.
Media reports indicated that US President Joe Biden will submit his request to Congress for additional funding for Ukraine and Israel next week.