U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will travel to Israel this week and urge Israeli officials to shift their focus away from their ground and air assault in Gaza, officials told The New York Times, as multiple countries press the wartorn nation to agree to a ceasefire.
Austin will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during his trip, seeking out steps Israel could take to reel back its assault and transition to targeted campaigns against Hamas leaders.
The meeting comes after the French foreign ministry said a ministry worker died in Rafah on Saturday after a Wednesday attack by Israeli forces on a residential building.
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“We demand that the Israeli authorities shed full light on the circumstances of this bombing, as soon as possible," the ministry said, according to Reuters. Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna also called for an “immediate truce” between Israel and Hamas.
As the death toll in Gaza climbed to nearly 20,000 people, Israel’s global position has waned in recent weeks, accelerated by its admission on Friday that Israeli Defense Forces accidentally killed three Israeli hostages in Gaza. France’s call for a ceasefire was joined by foreign ministers in the U.K. and Germany, who published a joint article in the Sunday Times.
“We must do all we can to pave the way to a sustainable ceasefire, leading to a sustainable peace,” wrote U.K. foreign minister David Cameron and German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock. “The sooner it comes, the better — the need is urgent.”
