Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III continued his near daily calls with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant today to discuss Israel's response to Hamas' terrorist attacks. The Secretary thanked Minister Gallant for Israel’s role in facilitating the Oct. 21 humanitarian convoy into Gaza and reiterated the importance of protecting civilians. The two leaders also discussed the continued provision of security assistance and the U.S. commitment to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this war.