| THE HUMANITARIAN PROBLEM: TOO MANY CASUALTIES, TOO LITTLE AID: Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon before they met privately, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant struck a cordial but blunt tone that underscored the deep misgivings the United States has about the impending Israel military operation planned for Rafah in southern Gaza. "In Gaza today, the number of civilian casualties is far too high and the amount of humanitarian aid is far too low," Austin said. "I have consistently said protecting Palestinian civilians from harm is both a moral necessity and a strategic imperative." "Israel has a right to defend itself, like any other state," Austin said, calling the bond between the two longtime allies "unshakable" and adding, "The United States is Israel’s closest friend, and that won’t change." "I look forward to discussing how we can dramatically and urgently ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza," Austin said. "We continue to share the goal of seeing Hamas defeated, so we’ll discuss alternative approaches to target Hamas elements. And we must also plan for Israel’s security after this conflict ends. And that includes working in renewed cooperation with the Palestinian Authority and our regional partners to stabilize Gaza and to move toward a two-state solution. ISRAEL'S GALLANT VISITS PENTAGON AFTER NETANYAHU SCRAPPED OTHER DC DELEGATION VISIT THE PREFERRED US MILITARY OPTION: 'A SEQUENCE AND A PHASING OF ACTIVITIES': In a background conference call for reporters after the Austin-Gallant meeting, a senior defense official outlined the case that Austin argued would accomplish Israel’s "legitimate goal" of dismantling Hamas’s remaining battalions in Rafah. "Our goal is to help Israel find an alternative to a full-scale, and perhaps a premature, military operation that could endanger the over 1 million civilians that are sheltering in Rafah. And to do that, there’s a requirement to ensure that those civilians can depart, can do so safely, and can have their humanitarian needs met as they make their way to other parts of Gaza," the official said. "Rafah should not be a safe haven for Hamas. Nowhere in Gaza should be. So finding an alternative approach to defeating the Hamas battalions in Rafah in a way that protects Palestinian civilians is really the priority." "A military operation should not proceed without a credible and implementable plan that ensures the safety and humanitarian support for civilian sheltering there," the official said Austin told Gallant. "That suggests that there is a sequence and a phasing of activities." "Our idea included that sequencing. It has included the kind of precision targeting that, in fact, has even been effective in targeting some Hamas leaders elsewhere in Gaza already as the most effective means of really taking out leadership — terrorist leaders," the official said. ISRAEL BLAMES US AFTER HAMAS REJECTS 'COMPROMISE PROPOSAL' FOR HOSTAGE DEAL THE AID PLAN: In the meeting, Austin also pressed the U.S. position that Israel must "diversify and scale up" entry points into Gaza to increase dramatically the aid to the more than a million people sheltering in Rafah. "Many of these people are at least once, if not twice, displaced, internally displaced people, and we’re talking about them having to move yet again," the senior official said. Israel has agreed to help with the maritime aid corridor the U.S. plans to begin operating in the coming weeks off the coast of Gaza, but Pentagon officials say it's not enough to meet the needs of a civilian population increasingly deprived of food and medical supplies. Yesterday, the U.S. carried out its 17th airdrop of food, including rice, flour, pasta, canned goods, and more than 470,000 "culturally appropriate, pork-free meals," according to the Pentagon. "While only one part of the broader humanitarian effort, these airdrops are an expedient means to deliver critical aid to Gaza," deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters yesterday. Parachute drops are not the most efficient or safest way of delivering aid, as evidenced by the fact that during yesterday's airdrop, three of the 80 bundles had parachutes that malfunctioned. "It is important to note that drop zones are chosen to mitigate potential failures of parachutes to deploy. These humanitarian aid drops occur over water and the wind causes the bundles to drift over to land," Singh said. "In the event of a parachute malfunction, the bundles land in the water." STATE DEPARTMENT REBUKES NETANYAHU FOR BLAME-SHIFTING ABOUT HAMAS TALKS Good Wednesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre's Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Stacey Dec. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn't work, shoot us an email and we'll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE NOTE TO READERS: Daily on Defense goes on spring break from April 1 to April 15. While we're away, you can still find breaking defense news on the Washington Examiner's national security and defense page. HAPPENING TODAY: Coast Guard divers will be going into the Patapsco River this morning to look for the bodies of six construction workers who are presumed dead after a cargo ship collided with a support structure of Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore causing the immediate and catastrophic collapse of the center section of the bridge. Maryland's investigation is centered on how the massive container ship bound for Sri Lanka from the Port of Baltimore lost power at the critical point when it was approaching the bridge in the early hours of yesterday morning, causing the ship to veer right and strike the support pillar despite the desperate efforts of the local pilot to stop the ship. On the widely circulated video of the collision, the lights of the ship can be seen going off and on twice, before it hit the bridge, and the ship broadcast a mayday saying it had lost power and propulsion. "The preliminary investigation points to an accident. We haven’t seen any credible evidence of a terrorist attack," Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) said at a news conference. The Pentagon said that while the commanding general of the Army Corps of Engineers has offered assistance to the Port of Baltimore, no request has been received. Asked if there was any chance the power outage on the ship was the result of a cyberattack, deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said, "I just don’t have anything for you on that, unfortunately. I saw some of those reports, but I can’t confirm those." BALTIMORE BRIDGE COLLAPSE: SIX MISSING VICTIMS PRESUMED DEAD LUKASHENKO UNDERMINES PUTIN'S BLAME GAME: In recent days, Russian President Vladimir Putin has insinuated the deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall was carried out by the Islamic State, with the covert assistance of the U.S. and Ukraine, and that the terrorists were trying to escape into Ukraine, when they were captured. "We know that the crime was perpetrated by radical Islamists," Putin said Monday. "But we are also seeing how the United States is using different channels to try and convince its satellites and other countries of the world that, according to its intelligence, there is supposedly no sign of Kyiv's involvement." "We know whose hands were used to commit this atrocity against Russia and its people. We want to know who ordered it." But Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a Putin ally, has said the Crocus City Hall attackers originally fled toward Belarus, not Ukraine, directly undermining the Kremlin narrative, the Institute for the Study of War noted in its latest Ukraine war update. "On March 26, Lukashenko reported that the Crocus City Hall attackers may have been planning to escape Russia's Bryansk Oblast to Belarus, but that Belarus introduced a heightened security regime that forced the attackers to change course towards the Russia-Ukraine border," the ISW said. "Lukashenko stated that the attackers 'couldn't enter Belarus' and praised high levels of cooperation between Russian and Belarusian special services for leading to the attackers' arrests." FEW TAKERS FOR ABORTION TRAVEL POLICY: The Pentagon revealed yesterday that the abortion and reproductive service travel policy that prompted Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) to block the promotions of hundreds of senior officers was used by only a tiny fraction of the military and civilian DOD workforce, costing taxpayers just $44,791.20. From June to December last year, there were a dozen reimbursements of travel expenses under the policy, but that could have been for fewer than 12 people. "Due to privacy concerns, the department does not track the number of individuals who used the policy or collect data on specific type of noncovered reproductive healthcare services used by service members utilizing the travel and transportation policy," Singh said. And while the amount disbursed was a rounding error of a rounding error when it comes to the $850 billion Pentagon budget, critics like Tuberville argue it's not the money but the principle of the thing. "This type of care includes noncovered abortion and assisted reproductive technology, such as in vitro fertilization, ovarian stimulations, and egg retrieval," Singh said. "These policies ensure that service members and their families are afforded the time and flexibility to make private healthcare decisions, as well as supporting access to noncovered reproductive healthcare, regardless of where they are stationed." PENTAGON SPENT ROUGHLY $45,000 ON 12 OUT-OF-STATE HEALTHCARE VISITS OVER 6 MONTHS CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: Israel blames US after Hamas rejects 'compromise proposal' for hostage deal Washington Examiner: State Department rebukes Netanyahu for blame-shifting about Hamas talks Washington Examiner: Israel's Gallant visits Pentagon after Netanyahu scrapped other DC delegation visit Washington Examiner: Biden mum on Israeli officials skipping DC visit in deepening rift over Gaza Washington Examiner: Biden responds to pro-Palestinian protesters in North Carolina: 'They have a point' Washington Examiner: TikTok bill in limbo as Senate heads for recess, though lawmakers warn of threat Washington Examiner: House Intelligence Committee awaits new appointees with loss of GOP members Washington Examiner: John Moolenaar to replace Mike Gallagher as head of House China committee Washington Examiner: Pentagon spent roughly $45,000 on 12 out-of-state healthcare visits over 6 months Washington Examiner: States copy Texas after Supreme Court permits local police to arrest and deport illegal immigrants Washington Examiner: Opinion: Thank nuclear submariners, not 'nuclear disarmament consultants,' for our avoidance of nuclear war Washington Examiner: Opinion: The US has encouraged Hamas to avoid a hostage deal Washington Examiner: Opinion: Putin makes absurd claim that US both warned of and helped facilitate ISIS attack Washington Examiner: Opinion: Why Poland must expel the Russian ambassador Washington Post: Amid US-Israeli Strains, Pentagon Pushes for a New Approach in Gaza AP: Protesters lock themselves in cages, blocking Tel Aviv road as they demand the release of hostages still held in Gaza. Bloomberg: The 'No-Fail' Mission to Protect the Red Sea Isn't Working Al Arabiya: Iran Spy Ship Provided Intel On Vessels Transiting Through Red Sea, U.S. Admiral Says AP: Things to know about the Turkish local elections that will gauge Erdogan's popularity Military.com: After Deadly Crash, Some Ospreys Are Flying Again in Japan Air & Space Forces Magazine: USAF Wishlist: $3.5 Billion for Exercises, Construction Projects, Spare Parts AP: Why is Japan changing its ban on exporting lethal weapons, and why is it so controversial? Breaking Defense: Sweden's Saab to Open New US-Based Munitions Factory The War Zone: Greece Plans to Sell F-16s, Mirages to Rationalize Its Fighter Inventory Air Force Times: Another Airman Probed by FBI for Allegedly Leaking Intel on Discord Air & Space Forces Magazine: New Report: U.S. Should Stand Up a 10,000-Man Cyber Force Defense News: Finland to Host NATO Tech Centers, Revamp Cybersecurity Strategy Inside Defense: DOD Corrects Replicator Inaccuracy, Providing Rare Glimpse into Budget Decision Process Reuters: How Drone Combat in Ukraine Is Changing Warfare Air & Space Forces Magazine: General Atomics Exec: CCA Will 'Go Down in History' for Putting Drones Front and Center Breaking Defense: Raytheon Awarded Sole-Source Radar Upgrade for Taiwan DefenseScoop: Trilateral AUKUS Alliance Kicks off Prize Competition Focused on Electromagnetic Spectrum Capabilities ABC News: Cancer Rate among Air Force Missileers Prompts Questions, Concerns Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Sends Surveys to Thousands of Airmen, Guardians on Communications, Aircrew Life Task & Purpose: Air Force Special Operators Must Take Class Before Getting Shaving Waivers Defense.info: The Iranian Conundrum: Shaping a Way Ahead The Cipher Brief: In Taiwan, the Calendar – and Preparations – for a Chinese Invasion The Cipher Brief: Opinion: The U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan – and Lessons for Ukraine THE CALENDAR: WEDNESDAY | MARCH 27 9 a.m. 1700 Army Navy Dr., Arlington, Virginia — Air and Space Forces Association Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies "Spacepower Security Forum," with Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations; Derek Tournear, director, Space Development Agency; John Plumb, assistant secretary of defense for space policy; and Maj. Gen. Brian Gibson, director of strategy, plans, and policy at U.S. Space Command https://ssf.mitchellaerospacepower.org 10 a.m. — Wadhwani Center for AI and Advanced Technologies virtual discussion: "The DARPA Perspective on AI and Autonomy at the DOD," with Matt Turek, deputy director, Information Innovation Office, and Gregory Allen, director, Wadhwani Center for AI and Advanced Technologies https://www.csis.org/events/darpa-perspective-ai-and-autonomy 12 p.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW — Henry L. Stimson Center discussion: “The Israel-Hamas War: Impacts and Prospects, Six Months On,” with Shibley Telhami, professor at the University of Maryland; Mairav Zonszein, senior Israel analyst at the International Crisis Group; Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace; and Ali Vaez, director of the International Crisis Group’s Iran Project https://www.stimson.org/event/the-israel-hamas-war-impacts 2 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group virtual discussion: “State of the Navy,” with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Rear Adm. James Aiken, commander of the Navy’s 4th Fleet https://events.defenseone.com/state-of-defense 3 p.m. — Henry L. Stimson Center virtual discussion: “Developments in North Korea’s Foreign Policy," with Rachel Minyoung Lee, senior fellow at the Stimson Center’s 38 North Program, and Robert Carlin, nonresident fellow at the Stimson Center’s 38 North Program https://www.stimson.org/event/north-koreas-foreign-policy 7 p.m. 610 Water St. SW — Politics and Prose Bookstore book discussion: Nuclear War: A Scenario, with author Annie Jacobsen; retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Charlie Moore, former deputy commander of U.S. Cyber Command; and Jon Wolfsthal, director of global risk at the Federation of American Scientists https://www.politics-prose.com/annie-jacobsen 7 p.m. — Middle East Policy Council discussion: “The Middle East at War: What’s Next for Israel and the Region?” with Nimrod Novik, Israel Policy Forum fellow. Register at https://ipfatidmar27dc.rsvpify.com THURSDAY | MARCH 28 8 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “Forging a New Era of U.S.-ROK-Japan Trilateral Cooperation,” with Duyeon Kim, adjunct senior fellow at the CNAS Indo-Pacific Security Program; Hannah Kelley, research associate at the CNAS Technology and National Security Program; Evan Wright, research assistant at the CNAS Indo-Pacific Security Program; and Lisa Curtis, senior fellow and director at the CNAS Indo-Pacific Security Program https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-event-forging-a-new-era 11:30 a.m. — U.S. Institute of Peace virtual discussion: “The Road to Washington’s NATO Summit,” with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Mirna Galic, chairwoman of the USIP Expert Study Group on NATO and Indo-Pacific Partners https://www.usip.org/events/road-washingtons-nato-summit 2 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group virtual forum: “State of the Air Force,” with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin https://events.defenseone.com/state-of-defense FRIDAY | MARCH 29 2 p.m. 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies book discussion: Living U.S.-China Relations: From Cold War to Cold War, with author David Lampton, director of China studies at SAIS https://sais.jhu.edu/campus-events MONDAY | APRIL 1 April Fools Day — Be extra skeptical today! Daily on Defense goes on spring break vacation for two weeks. TUESDAY | APRIL 2 2 p.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution in-person and virtual discussion: "Nuclear challenges for the next U.S. administration," with Robert Einhorn, senior fellow, Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Initiative, Brookings; Amy Nelson, fellow, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Brookings; Michael O’Hanlon, senior fellow, and Director, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Brookings; Caitlin Talmadge, nonresident senior fellow, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Brookings; and Melanie Sisson, fellow, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Brookings https://www.brookings.edu/events/nuclear-challenges WEDNESDAY | APRIL 3 6 a.m. EDT Brussels, Belgium — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg addresses reporters in "doorstep comments" at the stat of the meeting of foreign ministers at NATO Headquarters April 3-4 https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news Full agenda here 7:30 a.m. EDT Brussels, Belgium — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken deliver remarks https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news 7:45 a.m. 2425 Wilson Blvd., Arlington Virginia — Association of the U.S. Army "Coffee Series" in-person discussion, with Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo https://www.ausa.org/events/coffee-series/camarillo 8 a.m. 2401 M St. NW — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group breakfast discussion with Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander, Air Forces U.S. Central Command. RSVP: [email protected] 9:30 a.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW — American Enterprise Institute in-person and virtual discussion: "The Navy's Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request," with Assistant Navy Secretary Russell Rumbaugh and Todd Harrison, AEI senior fellow https://www.aei.org/events/the-navys-fiscal-year-2025-budget-request 11:45 a.m. EDT Brussels, Belgium — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg holds a press conference at the end of day one of the meeting of NATO foreign ministers https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news THURSDAY | APRIL 4 4 a.m. EDT Brussels, Belgium — NATO's 75th Anniversary Celebration with speeches by the NATO secretary-general; chairman of NATO the Military Committee; and foreign ministers from Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Belgium https://www.nato.int 5:30 a.m. EDT Brussels, Belgium — Remarks by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba https://www.nato.int 11:25 a.m. EDT Brussels Belgium — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg holds a press conference at the close of the meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters https://www.nato.int | | | | "The preliminary investigation points to an accident. We haven't seen any credible evidence of a terrorist attack." | | Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD), on the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday, after it was struck by a large container ship |
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