Lloyd J. Austin III Secretary of Defence | Official website
Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh provided a readout of the call between Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
During the conversation, Austin and Gallant discussed Israel's recovery of the remains of six hostages in Gaza who were murdered by Hamas, including 23-year-old American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Austin conveyed his deepest condolences to the families of all the slain hostages and expressed outrage at their execution by Hamas. He emphasized that Hamas leaders must be held accountable for their actions. Both officials reaffirmed their commitment to quickly reaching a ceasefire deal to secure the release of all hostages.
Austin also extended his condolences for three Israeli police officers killed in an apparent terrorist attack in the West Bank this morning and voiced concern over rising tensions and increased terrorist activity in the area this week.
