Unraveling the Fallout: Pentagon’s Response to Austin’s Admission of Gaza Casualties
Watan-The U.S. Department of Defense issued a clarification regarding one of the significant statements made by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in which he confirmed that the Israeli occupation army killed more than 25,000 children and women in the Gaza Strip.
Austin stated that Israel had killed more than 25,000 women and children in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.
Austin’s remarks came during a congressional hearing on his hospitalization period, military aid to Ukraine, and developments in Gaza.
During the session, Austin was asked about the number of Palestinian women and children killed by Israel since October 7th. He responded, “More than 25,000.”
-قال وزير الدفاع الأمريكي لويد أوستن اليوم الخميس 29 فبراير/ شباط، إن إسرائيل قتـ.ـلت أكثر من 25 ألف امرأة وطفل منذ السابع من أكتوبر/ تشرين الأول، مؤكدًا أن إسرائيل يمكنها ويجب عليها أن تفعل المزيد لحماية المدنيين.
-وأضاف أوستن أنه تم إرسال نحو 21 ألف ذخيرة موجهة بدقة إلى… pic.twitter.com/qyBjv9piLP
— الجزيرة مباشر (@ajmubasher) February 29, 2024
He was also asked about the number of weapons Washington had sent to Israel since October, to which the U.S. Defense Secretary said he did not remember the exact number of weapons.
During the same session, Democratic Representative from California, Ro Khanna, replied, “The United States has sent more than 21,000 precision-guided munitions to Israel in the past five months.”
Pentagon clarification
In the wake of Austin’s statement causing a major stir, a clarification was issued by the Pentagon hours later. Sabrina Singh, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, stated, “Austin relied on an estimate from the Gaza Health Ministry, referring to the total number of Palestinian casualties, not just women and children.”
Singh further stated in the statement, “We cannot independently verify the casualty figures in Gaza.”
The Flour Massacre These statements came hours after the Flour Massacre, where Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians as they waited for aid trucks on Rashid Street in Gaza City.
The aid massacre at Nablus Roundabout in Gaza
The Israeli army fired artillery shells at citizens who gathered to receive aid. The massacre took place in the northern part of the besieged enclave, facing a famine amid the Israeli blockade, with reports of children dying due to drought and malnutrition.
Since the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood carried out by Palestinian resistance on October 7th last year, Israel has waged a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, resulting in tens of thousands of martyrs and wounded, mostly children and women, and causing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
