US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday said Hamas fighters took “evil to another level” from Islamic State jihadists, as he pledged “iron-clad” backing for Israel in its war against the Palestinian Islamists.
“In encountering ISIS I felt as if we were staring evil in the eye — it was truly evil,” said Austin after talks with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant. “And what we’ve seen from Hamas, it takes that evil to another level.”
Austin underlined that there is “never any justification for terrorism and that’s especially true after this rampage by Hamas”. Washington, he said, will provide Israel with what it needs to defend itself. “The United States has Israel’s back and that is not negotiable and it never will be,” vowed Austin.
The defence secretary however cautioned that the fightback against Hamas must take place within boundaries. “Democracies like ours are stronger and more secure when we uphold the laws of war,” he said, expressing confidence in the “well-led” Israeli forces to “be disciplined” in their operations to uproot Hamas.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - AFP)