Israel’s defense chief heads to US for Gaza discussions

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is set to visit the United States for discussions, highlighting the increasing strain between the nations amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Gallant’s agenda includes meetings with American Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, among other key figures. The talks aim to cover the conflict with Hamas, efforts to rescue hostages in Gaza, humanitarian initiatives, and measures to promote regional stability.

This diplomatic engagement follows Blinken’s recent trip to the region, during which he cautioned against an Israeli assault on Rafah in southern Gaza, indicating it could further isolate Israel internationally. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, affirmed Israel’s readiness to proceed with actions in Rafah independently of U.S. backing.

The city of Rafah has become a haven for approximately 1.5 million Palestinians seeking safety from the conflict initiated by Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7. Gallant’s trip marks his first to Washington since the onset of hostilities.

President Joe Biden has also engaged, requesting Netanyahu to send a delegation to Washington to deliberate on alternatives to a comprehensive military operation in Rafah. According to a U.S. defense official, Gallant’s meeting with Austin is part of this broader dialogue effort.

The Hamas assault on October 7 reportedly resulted in around 1,160 fatalities, predominantly civilians, based on an aggregation of official Israeli data. In retaliation, Israel’s military operations in Gaza have led to at least 32,142 deaths, with a significant number being women and children, as reported by Gaza’s health ministry under Hamas administration.