BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 23. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a telephone conversation with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant has called for ensuring the safety of the civilian population of the city of Rafah before the start of a possible Israeli military operation, The Pentagon said, Trend reports.
The report noted that the minister stressed the importance of having a robust plan to ensure the safety and support of the more than one million residents living in Rafah before any military action is launched there.
In addition, the parties discussed joint efforts to free all those remaining hostage from Hamas. Austin also raised the need to improve the process of peaceful conflict resolution with humanitarian organizations and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians, noting that looting and violence are preventing humanitarian convoys from accessing the Gaza Strip.