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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at the Pentagon this Tuesday. The meeting occurred amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

The focus of their discussion was on reducing civilian casualties and improving the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, with Austin characterizing the dialogue as “very productive.” Austin and Gallant also discussed the situation in Gaza, particularly the potential Israeli military actions in Rafah, a city currently serving as a refuge for over a million Palestinians.

In a readout, Secretary Austin said, “Our goal is to make Israel and the region safer and more secure.” He added that the United States also wanted to protect “Palestinian civilians from harm.” Secretary Austin added, “In Gaza today, the number of civilian casualties is far too high, and the amount of humanitarian aid is far too low…Gaza is suffering a humanitarian catastrophe, and the situation is getting even worse.”

Gallant expressed Israel’s determination to dismantle Hamas and to secure the release of Israeli hostages. In response to potential operations in Rafah, Austin suggested Israel consider alternatives to a large-scale military engagement, proposing “precision targeting” of key Hamas figures as a strategy.

The discussion also covered the critical topic of humanitarian aid, with Austin urging for an increase in aid entry points into Gaza and for collaboration with international partners to ensure effective aid distribution.

The meeting took place against the backdrop of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to cancel a planned visit to Washington and his critique of the US’s abstention from a UN Security Council vote calling for a ceasefire in Gaza during the remaining weeks of Ramadan.