WASHINGTON \u2015 Shortly after Hamas killed about 1,200 Israelis \u2014 mostly civilians \u2014 and abducted more than 200 hostages, Biden administration officials told U.S. lawmakers to prepare their constituents for a long war in Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the days after the Oct. 7 attack, the Defense Department began rushing weapons to Israel<\/a>, including Small Diameter Bombs, precision-guided munitions, armored tanks, artillery rounds and ammunition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The White House and the Pentagon both said at the time they would set \u201cno red lines\u201d for Israel\u2019s military activities in Gaza. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed on Oct. 12 the U.S. <\/b>had \u201cnot placed any conditions on the provision\u201d of U.S. weapons and assistance for Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than three months later, Israel\u2019s attacks have killed over 24,000 Palestinians \u2014 mostly civilians \u2014 with more than 61,000 injured and thousands more missing or buried under rubble. The attacks have resulted in the largest Palestinian displacement since 1948, forcing at least 85% of Gaza\u2019s 2.3 million people into increasingly smaller, unlivable areas amid scenes aid agencies have described as \u201capocalyptic.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n