Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks with Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin attends a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Oct. 31, 2023. (Photo by Liu Jie/Xinhua via Getty Images)

The U.S. Department of Defense reported that Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant over the phone on Sunday.

"Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant today to receive updates on Israel's operations in Gaza," the press release read. "The Secretary reiterated his ironclad commitment to Israel's right to defend itself and emphasized the importance of both protecting civilians and delivering humanitarian assistance."

"He reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this conflict," the statement added.

The call came days after President Biden called for a "pause" in the conflict for the sake of civilians in Gaza. Biden said that there was some progress made towards a pause on Saturday, but did not elaborate beyond that.