US Defense Minister And Israel Discuss Gaza Situation Including Aid Delivery

DOC VIA UN

JAKARTA - US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip by telephone, including the release of hostages and aid deliveries, the Pentagon said in a statement.

According to an official statement issued by Pentagon Press Secretary Major General PatRIDer, Austin requested a Gallant assessment of the negotiations on the release of the hostages detained by Hamas, and they also discussed "urgent needs" of more humanitarian assistance to reach Palestinian civilians and the need to "facilitating new routes of aid to North Gaza."

"Austin andGallant agreed to the need to pass President Biden's additional bipartisan National Security," the statement added.

The request for additional USD 95 billion in national security funds includes funding for Ukraine, as well as Israel and Taiwan.

US President Joe Biden and the Senate have urged Republican-controlled House of Representatives to pass the aid package. But House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected calls for a vote and called for more border security measures.

Israel has killed more than 30,000 people in the Gaza Strip since the October 7 attack by the Palestinian Hamas group.

About 1.200 people died in the initial attack and 240 people were held hostage, half of whom had been released in a brief ceasefire in November.

Israeli military operations have destroyed Gaza, caused refuge and mass suffering.

Amid international condemnation, Israel said it would launch a ground invasion of the Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip if an agreement was not reached in the holy month of Ramadan.

Biden said he hoped the ceasefire could be carried out early next week as negotiations to stop the war and guarantee the release of prisoners appear to be completed quickly.