‘Hamas is worse than ISIS’: Israel PM Netanyahu to US' Austin

Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday thanked US secretary of defense Lloyd Austin for United States' support to the country in the war against terror group Hamas saying that the world has to unite to help Israel fight Hamas.

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"Hamas is ISIS. Hamas is worse than ISIS. Just as the whole civilised world united to fight ISIS, the world has to unite to help us fight Hamas. I know that you stand with us," Netanyahu said to Austin, who made a solidarity visit to Israel on Friday, a day after secretary of state Antony Blinken's visit to the war-shed country.

Meanwhile, Austin reaffirmed US' support to Netanyahu saying that America stands with Israel. “As the president said, we have your back. We do stand with you, Mr. Prime Minister,” Austin told Netanyahu.

Austin met with Netanyahu and spent nearly two hours with minister of defence Yoav Gallant and the Israeli War Cabinet.

Read here: Palestine supporters protest as Israel urges evacuation in Gaza amid war

Asked about the likelihood of civilian casualties in Gaza, Austin said Israel has the right to defend itself and added that he has worked with Israeli forces over the years, when he was in the military.

“They are professional, they are disciplined and they are focused on the right things,” he told reporters, after meeting for nearly two hours with Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant and the Israeli War Cabinet.

Austin underlined that there is "never any justification for terrorism and that's especially true after this rampage by Hamas".

Additionally, the US defence secretary affirmed that Pentagon was ready to deploy more military aid to Israel as Israeli forces prepare for a retaliatory attack on Gaza. "The US Department of Defense stands fully ready to deploy additional assets if necessary," he said.

On the war front, Israeli military urged around one million Palestinians in Gaza City to evacuate “for their own safety and protection,” ahead of a feared Israeli ground offensive. However, Hamas rulers responded by calling on Palestinians to “remain steadfast in your homes and to stand firm" against Israel.

Read here: 'Hamas is ISIS, will be crushed soon': Netanyahu's warning as war enters Day 6

The assault by Hamas on Israel last week killed over 1,300 people, mostly civilians, including women and children. Israel has since been hammering Gaza with air strikes and artillery fire and more than 1,500 Palestinians have been killed. A ground invasion of the besieged enclave appears to be imminent.

(With inputs from agencies)

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