Defense Secretary, Lloyd J. Austin said he would “like to see Israel scale back some of the strikes it’s taking, especially in and around Beirut” as casualties grow. The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, affirmed on Wednesday that the Biden administration had told Israel that it opposed “near-daily strikes” in “densely populated areas of Beirut.” Israel had appeared to limit strikes in and around Lebanon’s capital after Ms. Jean-Pierre’s comments, but on Saturday, the Israeli military struck in the Dahiya. Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said in a statement that Israeli forces are committed “to mitigating harm” to Lebanese civilians. Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/19/world/middleeast/israel-lebanon-lloyd-austin.html

Source: New York Times October 21, 2024 12:33 UTC