US 'fully supports Israel's right to defend itself’: Pentagon chief

WASHINGTON

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth held an introductory call Wednesday with his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz to discuss ties, according to a spokesman.

Hegseth emphasized that the US "fully supports Israel's right to defend itself, and that Israel is a model ally for the region," John Ullyot said in a statement.

He reiterated that the US is "committed" to deepening the security relationship to enhance Israel's ability to address regional threats and ensure that Israel has the capabilities it needs, Ullyot added.

Confirmed as Pentagon chief after Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 tie in the Senate last week, Hegseth held his first telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.

US President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he lifted a hold imposed by the former Biden administration on supplying 2,000-pound bombs to Israel.

Last May, then-President Joe Biden paused the delivery of a weapons shipment that included 2,000-pound bombs that Israel had used to flatten wide swathes of the Gaza Strip.

Biden made the decision due to concerns over the possible use of the bombs in a heavily populated area.

The US has long been criticized for providing support to Israel in its war in Gaza, where more than 47,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023.

Some US lawmakers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, frequently make calls for the US to stop supplying weapons to Israel and stop being complicit in Israel's war in Gaza.