The Pentagon is urging close consultations between Israel and the U.S. on Syria.
On December 11, the Pentagon announced 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 on the unfolding events in Syria.
According to the Pentagon, Austin told Katz that Washington was monitoring developments in Syria and supported a peaceful, inclusive political transition. He added that the U.S. would continue its mission to prevent the Islamic State (IS) militant group from re-establishing safe havens in Syria.
Following a lightning offensive, Syrian anti-government forces led by rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani ended more than 50 years of Assad family rule. President Bashar al-Assad left the country last weekend, and the world is watching to see if Syria's new rulers can stabilize the country.
Following the fall of the Assad regime, the Israeli military stated that its jets had conducted hundreds of airstrikes in Syria and destroyed much of Syria's strategic weapons stockpile.
"Secretary Austin stressed the importance of close consultation between the United States and Israel regarding events in Syria," the Pentagon said.
The Pentagon added that Austin also discussed with Katz efforts to protect Israeli hostages in Gaza and urged Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory, where Israel's military offensive has led to allegations of genocide and war crimes that the country denies.
The current crisis in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict erupted on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian Hamas fighters attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking approximately 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
According to health authorities in Gaza, the subsequent Israeli military offensive on Hamas-controlled Gaza resulted in nearly 45,000 deaths. It also led to extreme famine and displaced nearly 2.3 million Gazans.
