Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin rejects accusations Israel has committed genocide in Gaza

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday said the U.S. has seen no evidence that Israel has committed genocide during its military operations against Hamas in Gaza.

"We don't have any evidence of genocide being created," Austin said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing focused on President Joe Biden's latest budget request.

Asked by Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., whether that means Israel is not committing genocide in Gaza, Austin said again, "We don't have evidence of that." 

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The assertion comes during a critical point in the Israel-Hamas war, in which many countries, including the U.S., have been critical of the way the Israel Defense Forces are conducting military operations in the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 33,000 people have died during the conflict and more than 75,000 people have been injured. 

Earlier in the hearing, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., had asked the defense secretary if Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7 should be considered an act of genocide. 

"What we witnessed on Oct. 7, senator, was a horrific terrorist attack by Hamas," Austin said, adding it "certainly is a war crime."

Israel has faced accusations for months that it has been committing genocide in Gaza. In January, the Israeli government defended itself against those allegations before the United Nations' top court, the International Court of Justice, in a case brought by South Africa. Lawyers for that country argued Israel had violated the