Defense Secretary Austin says there is “quite possibly” a role for US to play in stabilizing Gaza
The U.S. could “quite possibly” play a role in post-war stabilization efforts in Gaza, though this would need to be defined in coordination with regional allies, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Friday.
Speaking at a news conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Austin said, “Whether the U.S. would participate in stabilization efforts in Gaza will depend on contributions from several countries, particularly from the region.” He added, “There may well be a role for the United States, but what that role would be and how it would look will need to be worked out with our allies and partners.”
Austin emphasized that the first priority is achieving “some sort of ceasefire” and then “establishing the necessary conditions to stabilize the area.”
Israel condemns UN chief for not supporting killing of Sinwar
Israeli officials have accused UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of not “welcoming” the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, continuing their long-standing conflict with him over perceived bias against Israel.
After Israel announced Sinwar’s death, Guterres posted on X about the “unacceptable” attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, but did not mention Sinwar. This drew criticism from Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who wrote on X, “UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres did not welcome the elimination of arch-terrorist Yahya Sinwar, just as he refused to label Hamas a terrorist organization after the October 7 massacre.”
Though Guterres condemned the October Hamas attacks as “acts of terror,” Katz accused him of pushing an “extreme anti-Israel and anti-Jewish agenda,” and reiterated that Israel continues to consider him persona non grata.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan also criticized Guterres, calling him “the most irrelevant and detached public figure on earth” in a post on X.
In Guterres’ only comment since Sinwar’s death, he warned Israel that attacks on peacekeepers could “constitute a war crime.” Peacekeepers, under international humanitarian law, are considered civilians as they are not involved in the conflict. The UN recently accused Israel of firing on its peacekeepers and entering their base by force.
