U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said attacks by "extremist settlers" against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank must stop as he called for more aid to be given to the people in Gaza, devastated by Israel's incessant attacks since October.
"Attacks by extremist settlers against the Palestinians in the West Bank must stop and those committing the violence must be held accountable," Austin said at a news conference with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv on Monday.
Austin is on a Middle East tour to Bahrain, Qatar and Israel. He and Gallant discussed the ongoing war in Gaza, the protection of civilians, and the recent attacks on vessels in the Red Sea by Yemeni Houthi rebels.
"I also discussed the need to take urgent action to stabilize the West Bank," said the U.S. defense chief.
The U.K. recently banned those responsible for settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
The U.K. action comes following a growing international uproar against settler violence against Palestinians, particularly in the occupied West Bank.
Last week, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he would propose sanctions against Jewish settlers responsible for violence against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Earlier on Dec. 7 Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo had slammed the growing Israeli violence in the Gaza Strip and Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.
"Violence against civilians will have consequences. Extremist settlers in the West Bank will be banned from entering Belgium," he said.
"We will work with the U.S. on sanctions targeting individuals involved in actions that undermine peace, security, and stability in the West Bank," Croo added.
Reiterating that U.S. support for Israeli security is "unshakable," he said Washington would keep pushing "relentlessly" for the safe return of hostages in the Gaza Strip.
Austin emphasized that protecting Palestinian civilians in Gaza, pummeled by weeks of Israeli attacks, is both "a moral duty and a strategic imperative," while vowing to "continue to urge the protection of civilians during conflict and to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza."
Israel's air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas have killed more than 19,450 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to health authorities in the enclave.
The war has left Gaza in ruins with half of the coastal territory's housing stock damaged or destroyed, and nearly 2 million people displaced within the densely-populated enclave amid shortages of food and clean water.
Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack, while more than 130 hostages remain in captivity.
Austin also called for more aid for people displaced in the besieged Gaza Strip.
"We must get more humanitarian assistance into the nearly two million displaced people in Gaza and we must distribute that aid better," he said, according to a statement from the Israeli prime minister's office.
Austin said the United States would provide more arms and munitions to Israel, as he warned Iran to "stop" supporting Houthi rebels who were attacking vessels in the Red Sea.
