US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said, during a speech he delivered at the Reagan National Defense Forum held in California, that ‘Israel may face a strategic defeat in the Gaza Strip.”
He added: “In this type of combat, the civilian population is the center of gravity. If you push them into the arms of the enemy, you will exchange tactical victory for strategic defeat.”
He continued: “The Israeli army cannot win the battle against Hamas unless the Israeli forces carry out the main mission of preventing the killing of civilians and working to protect them in the Gaza Strip,” as reported by “Novosti” news agency.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon