ALBAWABA - Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will visit Washington next week, the cabinet announced Wednesday, as international calls mount for Israel to halt a planned offensive in Gaza's Rafah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office also announced that a delegation would travel to Washington at "the request of US President Joe Biden" to discuss the planned attack, which the US opposes.
Gallant will be meeting with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The Israeli Defense Ministry released a statement confirming the meeting: "Minister Gallant is scheduled to meet with the Secretary at the Pentagon to hold an in-depth dialogue on a range of security issues including developments in the war against the Hamas terrorist organization, force build-up, humanitarian issues and areas of bilateral military cooperation,".
The statement added that Galant will also be meeting with other senior US officials in the Biden Administration and the Congress. "Minister Gallant is joined on the visit by the Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Chief of Staff to the Minister, Military Secretary, and Head of the Policy Bureau".
