U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressed his concern about the deteriorating security situation in the occupied West Bank in a meeting with his Israeli counterpart on Thursday.

The meeting with Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and other senior security officials took place in the U.S. embassy to Belgium in Brussels. 

Austin stressed the need to increase security cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to quell tensions, and reportedly suggested that this be done through a U.S. security coordinator.

According to the Hebrew news site Walla, the two sides also discussed the issue of Iran.