U.S. Urges Israel to Lower Intensity of Gaza Operations to Avoid Broader Conflict

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Visits USS Gerald R. Ford in Mediterranean, Highlights Rising Death Toll in Gaza

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is urging Israel to transition its military mission in Gaza to lower-intensity combat operations to reduce the risk of a broader conflict with Iran and its regional proxies.
Austin made these comments during a visit to the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, which has been deployed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea to deter Iran and its proxies from widening the war.
The rising death toll in Gaza, now about 20,000 people, is fueling the momentum of Iranian proxy attacks against Israel and its allies.
The USS Gerald R. Ford's deployment has been extended three times due to the crisis in Gaza, and it is now in its eighth month at sea.
Iran-backed militias have carried out more than 100 attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria, injuring nearly six dozen soldiers.