U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III reiterated the country's "unwavering" support for Israel's right to defend itself and to protect its civilians in talks with Israeli Minister of Defense Benjamin Gantz on Tuesday.
He also expressed his support for de-escalation of the conflict between Israel and Palestine and the restoration of calm, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement.
The exchange of rocket fire between Israel and the Gaza Strip, which has been going on since May 10, was triggered by riots in East Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque. Clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police officers erupted after an Israeli court had ruled to evict several Palestinian families from the city’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and hand the property over to Jewish settlers. According to latest data, at least 12 Israelis and over 230 Palestinians have been killed, TASS reported.
