US to Israel: Protecting Palestinians is moral, strategic imperative

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has said it was a moral and strategic imperative to protect Palestinian civilians in the Israeli war on Gaza and that the humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged enclave was getting worse.

Austin was speaking at the start of a meeting with Israel Defence Minister Yoav Gallant at the Pentagon on Tuesday as relations between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sank to a wartime low.

"In Gaza today, the number of civilian casualties is far too high and the amount of humanitarian aid is far too low," Austin said.

"Gaza is suffering a humanitarian catastrophe and the situation is getting even worse," Austin said, using more forceful language than he has in the past on the crisis.

He added that he and Gallant would discuss how to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Their meeting takes place after Netanyahu on Monday cancelled a separate visit to Washington by two of his most senior aides who were due to hear US ideas about operational alternatives.

'Unshakeable' bond

Netanyahu's fraught relations with Biden broke down over Washington's decision not to veto a UN Security Council resolution seeking an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

The United States has been working to get Netanyahu to consider alternatives to a ground invasion of Rafah, the last relatively safe haven for Palestinian civilians.

Austin said he would discuss alternate approaches to targeting Hamas in Rafah.

The threat of such an offensive has increased differences s between close allies the United States and Israel, and raised questions about whether the US might restrict military aid if Netanyahu defies Biden and presses ahead anyway.

Austin said that the security bond between Israel and the United States was "unshakeable".

"The United States is Israel's closest friend and that won't change," he added.