Pentagon urges 'close consultation' between Israel and US on Syria
On December 11, the Pentagon said that in a phone call, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz that it was important for the US and Israel to consult closely about the events taking place in Syria.
According to the Pentagon, Mr. Austin told Mr. Katz that Washington is monitoring developments in Syria and that it supports a peaceful, inclusive political transition. He added that the U.S. will continue its mission to prevent the Islamic State (IS) militant group from reestablishing safe haven in Syria.
In a lightning offensive, anti-government forces led by rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani ended more than 50 years of rule by the Assad family. President Bashar al-Assad fled the country over the weekend and the world is watching to see whether Syria's new rulers can stabilize the country.
After the fall of the Assad regime, the Israeli military said its jets carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria and destroyed much of Syria's strategic weapons stockpile.
"Secretary Austin emphasized the importance of close consultation between the United States and Israel on events in Syria," the Pentagon said.
The Pentagon added that Mr Austin also discussed with Mr Katz efforts to protect Israeli hostages in Gaza and urged Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave, where Israel’s military offensive has led to accusations of genocide and war crimes that it denies.
The current crisis in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict erupted on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Israel's subsequent military offensive in Hamas-controlled Gaza killed nearly 45,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities. It also led to extreme famine and displaced nearly 2.3 million Gazans.
