Chicago – March 26, 2024
According to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, more than 25,000 women and children have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7, raising concerns about the moral and legal implications of Tel Aviv’s offensive operations.
During a congressional hearing on Thursday, Austin was questioned by Congressman Ro Khanna about how many Palestinian women and children had been killed by Israel, to which he responded, “It is over 25,000.”
Israel has faced growing criticism for attacking residential areas, resulting in high civilian deaths. Despite concerns voiced by rights groups and assistance agencies, Tel Aviv has maintained its scorched-earth warfare approach.
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.
“It’s about 21,000 precision-guided munitions,” Khanna explained.
Khanna also questioned Austin on whether he would withdraw military assistance from Israel if it carried out a planned ground invasion of Rafah. Austin said that a “credible plan” was required to protect the safety of the 1.5 million Palestinians seeking refuge in the southernmost city.
