US Won’t Dictate to Israel Over War’s Timeline, Austin Says
- Defense chief softens tone in Tel Aviv meetings with leaders
- Biden had lamented ‘indiscriminate’ bombing of Gaza Strip
Lloyd Austin speaks in Tel Aviv on Dec. 18.
Photographer: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the US won’t dictate to Israel as it wages its war against Hamas, softening the Biden administration’s criticism of the Israel Defense Forces’ conduct as he met senior leaders in Tel Aviv.
“This is Israel’s operation, and I’m not here to dictate timelines or terms,” Austin told reporters at a briefing alongside his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant. “Our support to Israel’s right to defend itself is ironclad.” At the same time, he called the protection of Palestinian civilians “a moral duty and a strategic imperative.”