Austin meets with Gallant and confirms Washington's concern for Israel's security and the protection of civilians in Gaza. Austin also told his Israeli counterpart that the toll of civilian casualties in Gaza was "very high" A separate Israeli delegation was scheduled to visit Washington to discuss American concerns about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to launch an attack on the city of Rafah.
But Israel canceled the visit after the United States abstained from voting yesterday, Monday, during a session in which, in the absence of an American veto, a draft UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire was approved.