- 2 years ago
Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin holds a press briefing with Israeli Defense Minister Yaov Gallant in Tel Aviv, Israel.
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00:00 (inaudible)
00:17 Are we ready?
00:18 Hello, everyone.
00:19 Thank you for joining us.
00:20 The Minister of Defense and Secretary of Defense will now
00:23 deliver statements to the press, and we'll have a few questions
00:26 at the end.
00:27 Please, Minister.
00:29 Secretary of Defense General Lloyd Austin, when you said that
00:35 you stand with Israel, you showed up.
00:39 You stand here with us.
00:42 Mr. Secretary, you have shown us what it means to be an ally,
00:49 to be a friend, to be a brother.
00:56 The Secretary and I have just left the war room.
01:01 We set what decisions are made on Israeli security on our most
01:07 sensitive interests.
01:11 I briefed the Secretary on strategic developments in our
01:15 region, and the Chief of Staff, together with the IDF leadership,
01:21 shared our operations.
01:28 Defense cooperation and U.S. support in the Pentagon,
01:33 in the White House, in the Congress,
01:37 ensure freedom of operation and enforce our capabilities.
01:43 In fact, today, we will receive the second aircraft carrying
01:49 essential munition to the IDF.
01:59 U.S. deployment of assets on land, in air, and at sea,
02:05 sends a strong message to both our partners and enemies in the region.
02:14 On behalf of Israel's defense establishment and on behalf of
02:19 our citizens, Mr. Secretary, thank you very much.
02:27 Let me remind you all, our audience, who is the enemy.
02:33 Our neighbor is Hamas, the ISIS of Gaza,
02:37 an organization enjoying the Iranian payroll.
02:44 I cannot let the world forget the brutal attacks Hamas
02:49 terrorists conduct against Israeli children,
02:54 Israeli women, Israeli elderly, and entire families.
03:01 Murder, rape, kidnapping -- this is what we face in this war.
03:11 This is a war on the existence of Israel as a prosperous state,
03:19 as a democratic state, as the homeland of the Jewish people.
03:25 This is a war on freedom and on our common values,
03:31 and we are on the front line.
03:37 We will keep fighting and we will win this war.
03:42 We will prevail.
03:45 With your permission, Mr. Secretary,
03:46 I'll say a few words in Hebrew.
03:51 (speaking Hebrew)
04:16 (speaking Hebrew)
04:42 (speaking Hebrew)
05:11 (speaking Hebrew)
05:37 (speaking Hebrew)
06:06 (speaking Hebrew)
06:33 (speaking Hebrew)
07:02 (speaking Hebrew)
07:10 Thank you, sir.
07:13 Good afternoon, everyone.
07:15 Yov, we've been in close touch, but it's good to see you again
07:20 in person.
07:22 And it's good to be back in Israel,
07:24 even during such terrible days.
07:29 As the U.S. Secretary of Defense,
07:31 I am here in person to make something crystal clear.
07:37 America's support for Israel is ironclad.
07:42 And I extend my deepest condolences to the Israeli
07:45 people for those killed or wounded in this terrible
07:49 slaughter by Hamas.
07:54 I'm also here in solidarity with all the families still living
07:58 in the waking nightmare of not knowing the fate of their
08:01 loved ones.
08:03 And we will continue to coordinate closely with Israel
08:07 to help secure the release of the innocent men,
08:10 women, and children in the clutches of Hamas,
08:16 including American citizens.
08:20 Now, Israel is a small country, a place where everybody knows
08:25 everybody, and in times of trial,
08:29 the intimacy of your society deepens the intimacy
08:35 of your grief.
08:37 But that's not a weakness.
08:40 It is a profound strength.
08:43 And in times of testing, Israelis know what to do.
08:49 Over this awful week, we've seen Israeli hotels and homes take in
08:54 those who've had to flee.
08:58 We've seen long lineups to donate blood.
09:02 We've seen WhatsApps explode with messages as people race to
09:08 support neighbors in anguish.
09:12 And perhaps because I'm a retired general,
09:15 I was especially moved by the story of a retired general named
09:20 Nawam Teebone.
09:24 His son called him on Saturday from his home near Gaza to say
09:27 that Hamas terrorists had stormed their kibbutz and were
09:32 closing in.
09:34 And the retired general jumped into his car in Tel Aviv and
09:37 raced toward the combat zone.
09:39 He linked up with other fighters and rescued his son,
09:43 his daughter-in-law, and his granddaughters.
09:48 And when the general arrived at their house,
09:51 one of his granddaughters just said, "Grandpa's here."
09:57 These are rays of hope in a terrible week.
10:02 And in times like these, sometimes the best thing that a
10:07 friend can do is just to show up and to get to work.
10:14 Now, this is no time for neutrality or for false
10:19 equivalence or for excuses for the inexcusable.
10:25 There is never any justification for terrorism.
10:30 And that's especially true after this rampage by Hamas.
10:37 And anyone who wants lasting peace and security for this
10:40 region must condemn and isolate Hamas.
10:47 Hamas does not speak for the Palestinian people or their
10:51 legitimate hopes for dignity, security, and statehood,
10:55 and peace alongside Israel.
10:59 As a former commander of Central Command,
11:03 the deliberate cruelty of Hamas vividly reminds me of ISIS --
11:10 bloodthirsty, fanatical, and hateful.
11:16 And like ISIS, Hamas has nothing to offer but zealotry,
11:22 bigotry, and death.
11:27 The world has just witnessed a great evil --
11:31 the deadliest attack on civilians in the history of the
11:35 State of Israel, and the bloodiest day in Jewish history
11:39 since the end of the Holocaust.
11:44 So make no mistake, the United States will make sure that
11:48 Israel has what it needs to defend itself,
11:53 and Israel has a right to protect its people.
11:58 You know, in their many phone calls this week,
12:00 President Biden has told Prime Minister Netanyahu that the
12:04 United States would also respond swiftly and decisively to such a
12:09 massive terrorist assault.
12:12 And the President also underscored that democracies
12:15 like ours are stronger and more secure when we uphold the
12:23 laws of war.
12:28 Terrorists like Hamas deliberately target civilians,
12:33 but democracies don't.
12:36 This is a time for resolve and not revenge,
12:40 for purpose and not panic, and for security and not surrender.
12:48 At President Biden's direction, we have moved urgently to
12:51 respond to this crisis and to send a strong message
12:56 of deterrence.
12:58 The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is now in the
13:02 region, led by the largest aircraft carrier in the world.
13:08 We've augmented U.S. fighter aircraft squadrons in the Middle
13:10 East, and the U.S. Department of Defense stands fully ready to
13:16 deploy additional assets if necessary.
13:23 As President Biden has said, for any country,
13:28 for any group, or anyone thinking about trying to take
13:31 advantage of this atrocity, to try to widen the conflict or to
13:36 spill more blood, we have just one word -- don't.
13:44 The world is watching, and so are we.
13:49 And we aren't going anywhere.
13:52 We will remain in close contact with our valued partners across
13:55 the region, and security assistance from the Department
13:58 of Defense is already rapidly flowing into Israel.
14:04 That includes munitions and air defense capabilities and other
14:09 equipment and resources.
14:12 It also includes more interceptors for Iron Dome to
14:16 save Israeli lives.
14:19 And we will continue to ensure that Israel has what it needs
14:23 to keep itself secure.
14:27 Now, Hamas attacked at a time of global challenge.
14:32 But the United States is the most powerful country in the
14:36 world, and we remain fully able to project power and uphold our
14:43 commitments and direct resources to multiple theaters.
14:48 So we will stand with Israel even as we stand with Ukraine.
14:56 The United States can walk and chew gum at the same time.
15:01 And U.S. security assistance to Israel will flow in at the speed of war.
15:08 And as this harrowing week draws to a close, and as Shabbat draws
15:14 near, we stand together, and we stand strong.
15:22 The United States has Israel's back, and that is not
15:26 negotiable, and it never will be.
15:30 And after this terrible week, I wish you and all the people of
15:33 Israel Shabbat Shalom.
15:37 Thank you.
15:40 We'll be starting with a question, starting with Alon
15:42 Rendeville, Channel 13.
15:47 Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
15:50 Your presence in the eastern Mediterranean clearly projects
15:52 power, but should Israel be attacked from the north, from
15:56 Hezbollah in Lebanon, will you be willing to exercise your force
16:00 and join the fighting?
16:03 I ordered additional assets to the region to bolster deterrence.
16:08 And again, the message that we would send to any country or
16:12 group thinking to take advantage of this situation and widen the
16:17 conflict, don't.
16:22 I won't speculate on anything that could happen in the future.
16:26 I will just tell you clearly that the United States will
16:31 continue to support Israel's right to defend itself.
16:35 Thank you.
16:36 Please, a question to the defense minister.
16:39 (speaking in foreign language)
16:57 (speaking in foreign language)
17:19 Matt Siler, ABC.
17:27 Thank you both for doing this.
17:28 Secretary Austin, the U.S. administration has told Israel to
17:31 avoid causing civilian casualties and to uphold what
17:34 you called just now the laws of war.
17:37 Given how Hamas fights, deliberately launching
17:39 operations from dense civilian areas, how could Israel
17:42 permanently end the terrorist threat posed by Hamas without
17:46 inevitably risking many civilian lives?
17:49 And as we watch the civilian death toll in Gaza rise while
17:51 Israel conducts its counterattacks and perhaps a
17:54 ground invasion, do you believe the moral culpability for those
17:57 Palestinian deaths belongs to Israel, Hamas, or both?
18:04 I'll leave it to Israel to talk about its potential plans and
18:08 its approach to conducting operations.
18:13 Matt, I'll just say again that Israel has a right to defend
18:19 itself, and we will support Israel's right to defend itself.
18:24 We will continue to flow in security assistance.
18:27 And I've worked with Israeli forces over the years, over many
18:32 years, as you know.
18:33 I wore a uniform for 41 years.
18:37 My experience in working with the Israeli forces is they are
18:40 professional, they're disciplined, and they're focused
18:44 on the right things.
18:46 And so I expect that going forward, they will continue to
18:52 exhibit that same degree of professionalism that we've seen
18:54 in the past.
18:55 But you know, Matt, we've seen this before.
18:58 The international community fought ISIS, who in some cases
19:02 was embedded deeply in built-up areas.
19:07 And that international coalition fought valiantly and protected
19:13 civilians and created corridors for humanitarian movement, even
19:19 in the midst of a pretty significant fight.
19:23 So again, this is a professional force.
19:25 It is well-led, and I have every expectation that it will be
19:29 disciplined.
19:30 Thank you.
19:31 And for Minister Gallant, have you seen evidence that Iran was
19:35 directly involved in planning or executing the recent attack on
19:39 your country, or any signs that either Iran or its proxies are
19:42 seeking to exploit the situation?
19:45 And if you do come to see signs of an imminent attack on Israel,
19:48 are you in favor of preemptive strikes?
19:50 Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas is one axis, an axis of evil.
19:54 Everything is directed generally from Iran.
20:08 The permission is given by Iran.
20:12 The money is supplied by Iran, and the ideas are shaped in Iran.
20:20 Therefore, it doesn't matter if they give or didn't give
20:25 permission, but the idea is an Iranian idea.
20:30 As to the actions, future actions of IDF, I will stay
20:39 confidential for good reasons.
20:43 Thank you.
20:44 Suleiman Massada.
20:50 Mr. Secretary, thank you for this.
20:52 House Foreign Affairs Chair Mike McCaul said that we know that
20:57 Egypt had warned Israel three days prior to that event,
20:59 like something like this could happen.
21:02 We don't know how we missed it.
21:03 We don't know how Israel missed it.
21:04 So can you tell us what really the U.S.
21:07 knew before this attack?
21:11 What I can tell you is that if we had known or if we know of a
21:17 pending attack against an ally, we would clearly inform that ally.
21:22 But what we're focused on now, Suleiman,
21:24 is we're focused on making sure that Israel has what it needs to
21:29 defend its sovereign territory and to protect its citizens.
21:33 And the minister and I spent a good bit of time talking today
21:37 about what those requirements are and what we need to do to
21:40 urgently meet those needs.
21:44 Thank you, Minister.
21:45 This is the first time that a diplomatic level has risen to the
21:47 questions of the journalists.
21:48 Yesterday we heard that the Chief of Staff is also taking responsibility
21:51 and saying that we have made a commitment to the security of
21:54 the citizens of Israel.
21:56 Are there also citizens of Israel who are asking themselves if there
21:59 is any kind of taking responsibility on the side of the diplomatic level
22:03 in regards to what happened in the south?
22:06 We suffered a severe attack with very heavy prices.
22:11 There will be time to investigate this matter.
22:14 At this time, I, the General Staff, the Chief of Staff,
22:21 and all the IDF fighters, the ISA, the Mossad, the Israel Police,
22:27 we are all focused on the instructions that I gave,
22:32 one thing, to defeat and destroy Hamas as I described.
22:38 This is what was determined, this is the directive of the Israeli government,
22:42 and this is what will happen.
22:44 And last question from Tom Secretary.
22:54 Thanks for doing this.
22:55 Mr. Secretary, as you just stated, you were involved in the major effort
22:59 to stop and eradicate ISIS.
23:02 When you talk to the Minister and others,
23:04 and that experience courses through you,
23:07 what kind of lessons learned do you feel might be helpful in this case,
23:12 especially dealing with that whole urban situation that you just referred to,
23:16 the proposed evacuation of civilians from Gaza, those kind of challenges?
23:22 What kind of ideas and thoughts do you have that you can share, please?
23:29 Well, thanks, Tom.
23:30 I will tell you that encountering ISIS, I felt as if we were staring evil in the eye.
23:40 It was truly evil.
23:43 And what we've seen from Hamas, it takes that evil to another level.
23:49 And so that's the first thing that we need to remember and consider.
23:56 There are a number of things that we talked about today
23:59 and there are some lessons learned that we'd be more than happy to share
24:03 with our allies here in terms of operating effectively in dense urban terrain,
24:12 creating safe humanitarian corridors, making sure that we're thoughtful about how we shape the battle,
24:20 and making sure that our objectives are well-defined.
24:25 And so we'll continue to share the lessons that we've learned over the years.
24:31 And, of course, as the Israelis prosecute this fight, we will learn lessons from them.
24:37 And so I think it's this great teamwork that has served us both well over the years,
24:43 and we'll continue that.
24:45 Mr. Minister, there's been some confusion over the 24-hour deadline that Israel announced
24:52 for civilians in Gaza to move south, to evacuate and move south.
24:58 There was a 24-hour deadline initially reported,
25:02 and then there's been reports that Israel has modified that, have left it open,
25:07 in other words, not sticking to 24 hours of a deadline.
25:11 Would you please clarify specifically, is there going to be a deadline?
25:15 What can you tell us about the deadline?
25:18 And what will Israel do, if anything, to help civilians move?
25:22 Some of the people have said that's Hamas's problem; it's not our problem.
25:28 Well, first of all, I would like to remind all of us what happened less than a week ago.
25:36 1,200 Israelis were brutally murdered, raped, burned alive.
25:45 Kids were tied one to the other and shot at their hands.
25:50 This is Hamas. This is the ISIS of Gaza.
25:54 And as the Secretary said, they took evil to another level.
26:00 That's the first issue.
26:02 Second, Israel never and ever will not shoot civilians on purpose.
26:12 Therefore, we are asking all the civilians in Gaza City to go south of Gaza.
26:20 And the reason is that because we don't want to harm them.
26:24 The camouflage of the terrorists is the civil population.
26:29 Therefore, we need to separate them.
26:31 So those who want to save their life, please go south.
26:36 We are going to destroy Hamas infrastructures, Hamas headquarters, Hamas military establishment,
26:45 and take this phenomena out of Gaza and out of the earth.
26:52 They cannot live among human civilized people.
26:57 But 24 hours, is that deadline still holding, the 24 hours?
27:00 Thank you very much. We're done for today. Thank you.
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