Austin reiterates safety for U.S. forces in Gaza

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday he sees no indication that Hamas will attack American military forces in Gaza. U.S. troops are building a pier off the coast to deliver humanitarian aid in the war-torn region. CENTCOM chief Gen. Erik Kurilla has implemented security measures to keep troops safe while building the port, Austin said. While there are no indications that Hamas intends to attack U.S. troops, it is still a combat zone, he added. Austin made those comments responding to questions at a press conference at the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii.

What else was discussed at the joint press conference? Comments from the leaders followed a closed-door meeting. Australian Minister of Defense Richard Marles joined Austin on the island for multilateral talks with Japanese Minister of Defense Kihara Minoru and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro. The group condemned China’s recent harassment of Philippine vessels operating in the disputed South China Sea, according to the Department of Defense. Austin said the group holds the sea to be under international law. China maintains an aggressive stance in the Pacific, claiming ownership of the South China Sea. Austin, Marles, and Minoru issued separate statements about the meeting, each emphasizing the desire for regional peace and multilateral cooperation.

Any action plans discussed? The four leaders discussed security initiatives to stabilize the Indo-Pacific. They would have more maritime exercises between the countries and coordinated security assistance for the Philippines, the Department of Defense said in a statement.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report on Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping days before the multilateral meeting.