CNN quoted an American official at the Pentagon on Sunday as saying that Secretary Lloyd Austin will pressure Israeli officials to determine the features of their war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, during his visit to Israel on Monday.

The senior official stated that Austin “will receive specific updates on how Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the IDF will assess the progress they have made in the current phase of the campaign in Gaza to dismantle Hamas’ infrastructure.”

He added that the US Secretary of Defense "will put pressure on Israeli officials about the criteria they are looking for in order to move to the next phase of their campaign in Gaza."

He indicated that he would work to "deepen" the efforts made to increase humanitarian aid in Gaza and mitigate the harm to civilians.

The same official explained that he believes that "the Israeli security establishment is evaluating the conditions and the progress they are making around the clock, if not daily, and that Secretary Austin will want to hear a very clear expression of their self-evaluation."

He highlighted that the United States is there to "consult and ensure that there is planning" to move to a stage in which major ground operations stop.

Austin's trip comes days after US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters in Tel Aviv that Israel intends to move to a new phase of the war in which it will focus on "more precise methods" to target Hamas' leadership.

Monday's visit marks Austin's second trip to Israel since October 7, and he has held multiple consultations with his Israeli counterpart, Gallant. The two have spoken 27 times since the Hamas attack, according to CNN.