U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed that some actions of Israel in Gaza from a military standpoint appear to be justified.
"Our clear position is that Israel has the right to self-defense, but it needs to do everything possible to prevent civilian casualties and minimize casualties among them," Austin said at a briefing.
Austin's statement came after international observers recorded Israeli strikes on residential buildings in Palestinian areas.
"The perspective of the American Secretary of Defense is a strong signal to Israel," said political analyst David Makovsky.
