No evidence of Gaza genocide despite concerns over Israeli campaign, Austin says

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The U.S. has seen no evidence Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since launching a war against Hamas following the Oct. 7 terror attack that killed more than 1,200 people, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers Tuesday.

Despite sharp warnings to Israel from the Biden White House over the Israeli campaign, Mr. Austin said the U.S. did not back the charges of some of Israel’s harshest critics.

Mr. Austin’s statement came during his testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee over President Biden’s $850 billion defense budget. As has become almost a standard practice on Capitol Hill these days, the hearing was interrupted several times by demonstrators protesting the Biden administration’s support for Israel in its military campaign in the Palestinian enclave.

Mr. Biden is under increasing pressure from his own liberal political base over the mounting civilian casualties and devastation in Gaza as Israel battles entrenched Hamas militants.

“We don’t have any evidence of genocide being created” by Israel, Mr. Austin said in response to a question from Sen. Tom Cotton, Arkansas Republican, who called the allegation “nothing more than anti-Israel propaganda.”

Mr. Cotton also asked the Pentagon chief to respond to charges that Washington was “green-lighting” genocide by providing military support to Israel. Mr. Austin said he denies any allegation that the U.S. is complicit in genocide.

“From the very beginning, we committed to help assist Israel in defending its territory and its people by providing security assistance,” he said. “What happened on Oct. 7 was absolutely horrible — numbers of Israeli citizens killed and then a couple of hundred Israeli citizens taken hostage. American citizens as well.”

While Mr. Austin pushed back against the genocide claims against Israel, the Biden administration has repeatedly clashed with the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over tactics and strategy in the Gaza fighting.

U.S. officials have warned Israel against launching an operation into Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip, until provisions are made for about 1.3 million civilians there. Israel said at least two Hamas battalions are thought to still be operating in the city, and Mr. Netanyahu has insisted the Rafah campaign will continue.

“There is no question that there have been far too many civilian casualties in this conflict,” Mr. Austin said. “We continue to emphasize to the Israelis that civilians in that battle space need to be evacuated and properly taken care of.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Democrat, claimed that more than 30,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed there since the start of the war. It is the same figure widely repeated by Gaza’s health ministry, which is under the control of Hamas.

“Do you think an attack on Rafah that kills another 30,000 civilians would enhance either U.S. or Israeli security?” she asked.

Washington has stepped up the pressure on Israel to negotiate a cease-fire after an Israeli air strike last week mistakenly killed seven aid workers delivering food in Gaza. Mr. Austin said he has regular conversations with his Israeli counterpart, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and most recently spoke to him on Monday.

“It cannot be, going forward what we’ve seen in the past in terms of the type of activities that we’ve seen in Gaza City and Khan Younis,” he said. “Far too many civilians have been killed as a result of combat operations. They need to get civilians out of that battle space around Rafah.”

While much of the hearing focused on the Israel-Hamas conflict, Mr. Austin also defended Mr. Biden’s proposed $850 billion defense budget for fiscal 2025, arguing it will keep the nation safe by taking on an increasingly aggressive China and the threat posed by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

If approved by Congress, the request will invest in cutting-edge technology by setting aside more than $48 billion for naval shipbuilding to strengthen and modernize the fleet, $61 billion to reinforce dominance in the air, and $13 billion to bolster the combat capabilities of the Army and Marine Corps, Mr. Austin said.

The budget request will also address glaring quality-of-life issues for those in uniform, he said. Mr. Austin said it is geared to “our outstanding troops and their families.”

“That includes raising base pay and housing allowances, investing in better housing, and making child care more accessible and affordable,” Mr. Austin said.