Israel risks 'strategic defeat' if civilians aren't protected, Pentagon chief says

[nitpicked]

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4339335-lloyd-austin-israel-risks-defeat-if-civilians-not-protected/

Israel risks ‘strategic defeat’ if civilians aren’t protected, Pentagon chief says
BY LAUREN IRWIN - 12/02/23 4:59 PM ET
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Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Israel risks a “strategic defeat” if it does not work to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza amid its war on militant group Hamas in the region.

“The center of gravity is the civilian population and if you drive them into the arms of the enemy, you replace a tactical victory with a strategic defeat,” Austin said in a speech at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, Calif., on Saturday.
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His comments come as U.S. leaders become more vocal in warnings to Israel about the next phase of military operations in Gaza, after a temporary truce expired Friday. The Biden administration has issued caution that a campaign in southern Gaza must be carried out more precisely than Israel did in the first leg of the war.

Austin emphasized that Israel has the duty to respond to terrorist attacks, like the Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel by Hamas that left at least 1,200 Israelis dead. But, he argued, it is crucial for allies to work together to prevent civilian casualties — especially when the conflict is over.
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