Pentagon spokesman U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the United States has not yet established any violations of international humanitarian law by Israel, despite speculation sparked by Britain’s decision to suspend arms exports to Israel. During Tuesday’s briefing, Ryder noted that assessments are ongoing and their results have not yet been published.
General Ryder also briefed on recent talks between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant. During the conversation, Austin expressed his condolences for the deaths of six hostages killed by the Hamas terrorist group, and stressed the need to bring the leaders of this terrorist organization to justice.
The briefing also discussed the potential threat from Iran. Ryder confirmed that the United States takes Iranian threats seriously, but did not elaborate on possible Iranian retaliatory measures against Israel.
The strategic importance of the Philadelphia Corridor and its role in preventing future terrorist attacks was also discussed, but Ryder declined to give a tactical assessment of the Israeli military’s actions, leaving it to the discretion of Israeli authorities.
Previously, Kursor wrote that changes were made to the rules for storing weapons for Israelis.
