US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at IDF military headquarters in Tel Aviv on Friday, emphasizing the need for a clear stance regarding Hamas’s attack on southern Israel and the IDF’s response. He stated, “this is no time for neutrality or false equivalence.”

Highlighting the distinction between Israel’s self-defense actions and the malevolent nature of Hamas, Austin underlined that comparisons between the two should never be made. He went on to say, “I know ISIS very well, and what we’ve witnessed here is even worse than my experiences with ISIS.”

Furthermore, Austin condemned Hamas, describing the group as having “nothing to offer but zealotry, bigotry, and death,” and he noted that the previous Saturday had been “the bloodiest since the Holocaust” for Jews worldwide.

In a resolute statement, Austin affirmed, “I came here to make something clear: American support for Israel is unwavering.” He also issued a stern warning to potential instigators, saying, “For anyone contemplating exploiting this tragedy to escalate the conflict or cause more bloodshed, we have a single word: don’t. The world is watching, and so are we, and we will not back down.”

Austin emphasized the United States’ capability to support both Ukraine and Israel concurrently, stating, “The US can address multiple issues simultaneously.”

Reflecting on the challenging week and condemning the actions of the terrorist organization, Austin, who played a pivotal role in planning the war on ISIS, reiterated, “I know ISIS very well, and what we’ve seen here is even worse than my experiences with ISIS.”