Pentagon chief urges Israel action on settler violence against Palestinians

WASHINGTON (Reuters): US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart on Tuesday and called for consensus through political dialogue in the country while urging Israel to deal with settler violence against Palestinian civilians, the Pentagon said.

“Austin underscored the United States’ belief that broad consensus through political dialogue, especially in the coming weeks and months, are critical elements of a resilient democracy,” a Pentagon readout of the call said.

“He urged Minister Gallant to address extremist settler violence against Palestinian civilians,” the readout added, referring to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.