US urges Israel to do more to protect civilians in fight against Hamas

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has urged Israel to do more to protect civilians as its war against Hamas brings more death and destruction to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. He referred to Hamas as a "fanatical terrorist group" and urged Israel to never again make attacks on Israel from Gaza. Austin visited Israel amid growing concern over the death toll among civilians in Gaza, rising hunger and destitution. Israel's defence minister announced that they will gradually transition to the next phase of operations in Gaza, with the local population likely to return to the north of the coastal strip. Austin did not dictate any timeline or terms for Israel's military campaign but discussed transitioning to lower-intensity operations.