US secretary talks with Israel on protecting Gaza civilians, addresses Houthi threat in Red Sea

United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reiterated America’s steadfast support for Israel in its fight against Hamas during a visit to the region on Monday. At the same time, however, he urged for greater protections for Palestinian citizens. “Protecting Palestinian civilians in Gaza is both a moral duty and a strategic imperative,” he said. “So, we will continue to stand up for Israel’s bedrock right to defend itself and we will also continue to urge the protection of civilians during conflict and to increase the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.” Austin, alongside his Israeli counterpart Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, also addressed the threat from Yemen’s Houthi in the Red Sea. He said the U.S. was building an international coalition to address the increasing number of attacks on vessels in the region. RELATED: https://globalnews.ca/news/10173685/red-sea-attacks-houthi-global-trade/ Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/20fcXDc Like Global News on Facebook HERE: http://bit.ly/255GMJQ Follow Global News on Twitter HERE: http://bit.ly/1Toz8mt Follow Global News on Instagram HERE: https://bit.ly/2QZaZIB #GlobalNews #israelhamasconflict #redsea #uspolitics