Over 25,000 women and children have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7, according to US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
During a congressional hearing, Austin was questioned about the number of Palestinian women and children that had been killed by Israel, to which he replied, “It is over 25,000.”
Israel has been facing mounting criticism over the targeting of residential areas leading to high civilian casualties. Tel Aviv has defended its scorched-earth military strategy despite concerns raised by rights organisations and aid agencies.
The International Court of Justice has been hearing a case of genocide against Israel.
When pressed further by Khanna, who cited UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk’s assertion that any transfer of weapons or ammunition to Israel violated international law, Austin was unable to provide a figure for the number of precision-guided munitions the US had sent to Israel.
Khanna also questioned Austin on whether he would withdraw military assistance from Israel if it proceeded with a planned ground invasion of Rafah.
Austin responded that there had to be a “credible plan” to ensure the safety of the 1.5 million Palestinians sheltering in the southernmost city.
Asked whether he would halt military sales to Israel if it invaded Rafah without a plan, he said that the decision would be made by President Joe Biden.
“I expect that when we provide munitions to allies and partners, that they’ll use them in a responsible way,” said the US Defence Secretary.
