Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Talked Monday With King Abdullah II and Yoav Gallant.

By Tiffany Williams –

On Monday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan and Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. 

During his conversation with Abdullah, Austin talked about his his support for Israel’s right to defend itself after Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack that killed over 1,400 Israeli citizens and to consult on regional efforts to prevent the conflict in Gaza from escalating. 

Both Austin and Abdullah agreed on the importance of ensuring that civilians have access to humanitarian aid and Secretary Austin condemned Hamas’ actions to prevent civilian evacuation in Gaza and underscored his focus on civilian safety. 

Secretary Austin also reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.-Jordan partnership and reiterated the U.S. commitment to Jordan’s security.

In his conversation with Yoav Gallant, Secretary Austin and Gallant continued discussions on Israel’s operations to restore security following Hamas brutal October 7 attack. 

Secretary Austin reiterated the U.S. commitment to continue expediting security assistance and preventing conflict escalation and emphasized civilian safety and thanked the Minister for efforts to restore safe drinking water access in Gaza.