Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav GallantReadout of Acting Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Ms. Cara[...]

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant yesterday following the Iran-backed Houthi ballistic missile attack against Israel on September 15 and a barrage of rocket attacks into Northern Israel by the Iran-backed terrorist organization Lebanese Hizballah over the weekend. He reinforced the United States' ironclad commitment to Israel's security and its right to self-defense.

Secretary Austin also reaffirmed the necessity of a ceasefire and hostage deal, and that Israel should give diplomatic negotiations time to succeed, noting the devastating consequences that escalation would have on the people of Israel, Lebanon, and the broader region.