On the 26th, U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin met with Israeli Defense Minister Gallant, who visited Washington, D.C., and expressed concern about the Israeli military's preparations for a ground operation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, and discussed alternatives to the ground operation with the Israeli side. We discussed it.
In this, U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin expressed concern about the situation in the Gaza Strip, saying, ``There are too many civilian casualties and too little humanitarian aid.''
Regarding the Israeli military's ground operations in southern Rafah, Secretary Austin said, ``The safety of the 1.5 million civilians in Rafah is a top priority for the United States. "We should not proceed without this," he said, adding that they had discussed plans to replace ground operations.
Defense Minister Gallant requested the cooperation of the United States, saying, ``We need to work together to increase pressure on the Islamic organization Hamas in military and diplomatic efforts, such as hostage release negotiations.''
Meanwhile, the Israeli military is intensifying its attacks on hospitals across the Gaza Strip, alleging that Hamas fighters are active there, and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which operates Amal Hospital, the main hospital in Khan Yunis in the south, announced on the 26th, It has been revealed that the hospital has completely ceased functioning.
In addition, health authorities in the Gaza Strip announced on the 26th that the Israeli military is intensifying the siege of Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in the area, and the situation remains severe.