US Defense Secretary Warns Israel of 'Strategic Defeat' in Gaza

Lloyd Austin emphasizes the importance of protecting civilians in urban warfare as Israel-Hamas conflict resumes following breakdown of negotiations.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warns Israel of a 'strategic defeat' if it fails to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza amid its ongoing war with Hamas.
Negotiations over hostage and prisoner releases between Israel and Hamas have broken down, leading to the resumption of the Israel-Hamas war.
Austin emphasizes that victory in urban warfare can only be achieved by protecting civilians, a lesson learned from US experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Israel's renewed bombing has started to target areas in the south of Gaza, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis across the strip.
Hamas is blamed for the failure of the temporary cease-fire, having fired rockets into Israel before the truce ended and failing to produce Israeli hostages it had pledged to release.