United States Secretary of Defence Lloyd J Austin III will travel to India next week as part of his ninth official visit to the Indo-Pacific region, the US Department of Defence said.
Approximately 900 US troops have been deployed or are being deployed to the Middle East amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Pat Ryder said on Thursday (local time), CNN reported.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday spoke with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and discussed the need to facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza and to ensure the protection of civilians.
"We will continue to coordinate closely with Israel to help secure the release of innocent men, women and children in the clutches of Hamas, including American citizens," the US Defence Secretary said during a press conference with the Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday.
According to a statement from the US Department of Defence Austin's visit to Israel underscores the United States' unwavering commitment to support Israel following the recent deadly attacks by Hamas terrorists.
During his visit, he inaugurated a security complex at MDL and engaged in an interactive session with executives, addressing various concerns, read the Ministry of Defence press release.
United Kingdom's Ben Wallace resigned from his post as Secretary of State for Defence and said that his support for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his government will continue.
Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Defence, Aden Bare Duale arrived in New Delhi on Monday on a three-day visit to India and will hold talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.