WASHINGTON – Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Tuesday that the United States has seen no evidence that Israel committed genocide during its military operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“There is no evidence that genocide was produced,” Austin said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing focused on President Joe Biden's latest budget request.
Asked by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) if that meant Israel was not committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, Austin again said, “There is no evidence of that.”
The claims were made at a critical juncture in the Israel-Hamas war, with many countries, including the United States, criticizing the way the Israel Defense Forces are conducting military operations in the Gaza Strip. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 33,000 people have been killed and more than 75,000 injured during the conflict.
Earlier in the hearing, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) asked the secretary of defense whether the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel should be considered an act of genocide.
“Senator, what we witnessed on October 7th was a horrific terrorist attack by Hamas,” Austin said, adding, “It was definitely a war crime.”
Israel has faced accusations of genocide in the Gaza Strip for months. The Israeli government defended itself against these allegations in January at the International Court of Justice, the United Nations' highest court, in a case brought by South Africa. The country's lawyers argued that Israel was violating the 1948 Genocide Convention, the first human rights treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly after the Holocaust.
The court's judges ruled that there is a case to be tried regarding genocide, and while that legal process proceeds, they urge Israel to take all steps to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians. commanded. However, the court does not have the authority to enforce the judgment.
Austin's testimony on Tuesday came amid a potential turning point in the war as the United States seeks to influence Israel's strategy in Gaza to further minimize civilian casualties. Biden warned in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week that U.S. policy toward the longtime ally could change if Israel did not change course in the Gaza Strip.
Hours later, Israel agreed to open additional aid routes to allow for more humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The change comes after Israel killed a convoy of World Central Kitchen aid workers in a military attack in the Gaza Strip early last week.
On Sunday, the Israeli military announced it was withdrawing troops from southern Gaza, but it was unclear whether the move meant a change in offensive operations.
U.S. officials have called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, but negotiations have not yet been successful.
Wicker asked Austin during Tuesday's hearing whether Hamas would stop invading Israel if the country laid down its arms today.
“I seriously doubt that,” Austin said.