Israel’s Defense Minister pushes for aid at Pentagon

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – In the middle of a growing rift between President Joe Biden and the Israeli government, Tuesday Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant sat down with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon to try and talk through disagreements over how to defeat Hamas.

Ahead of the meeting, Secretary Austin emphasized the need to dramatically surge aid into Gaza by land and sea and noted the humanitarian crisis is growing.

“Gaza is suffering a humanitarian catastrophe and the situation is getting even worse,” said Austin.

He also warned against Israel’s plan to invade the city of Rafah without protections for the more than a million Palestinian refugees trapped there.

Gallant told Austin that the threats against his country are growing, citing attacks from seven different fronts. He stressed the need for the U.S. to supply more military aid to Israel to prevent a broader war.

“As I sit here in the Pentagon, Hamas leader is meeting with Iran leadership,” said Gallant adding, “The picture is clear.”

The Defense Department says it believes Gallant was receptive to U.S. concerns: however, the Biden administration has yet to lay out consequences if Israel ignores its warnings and invades Rafah.

Tuesday State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters, “Let’s take this one step at a time.”

Gallant met Monday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and is also expected to sit down with CIA Director William Burns to discuss ongoing negotiations on a ceasefire and efforts to rescue hostages.

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