More Than 25,000 Women, Children Killed In Gaza- US Defence Secretary

More than 25,000 women and children have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7, according to US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Speaking during a congressional hearing, Austin was asked by Congressman Ro Khanna how many Palestinian women and children had been killed by Israel, replying: “It is over 25,000.”

Pressed further by Khanna, citing 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 on how many transfers of precision-guided munitions the United States had sent to Israel.

“It’s about 21,000 precision-guided munitions,” said Khanna.

Khanna also questioned Austin on whether he would withdraw military assistance from Israel if it proceeded with a planned ground invasion of Rafah.

Austin responded that there had to be a “credible plan” to ensure the safety of the 1.5 million Palestinians sheltering in the southernmost city.

Asked whether he would halt military sales to Israel if it invaded Rafah without a plan, he said that the decision would be made by President Joe Biden.

“I expect that when we provide munitions to allies and partners, that they’ll use them in a responsible way,” said the US Defence Secretary.

ALJAZEERA