BRUSSELS, Oct 13, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday that Washington did not put any conditions on the way Israel can use the weapons it provides for fighting Hamas.

"We have not placed any conditions on the provision of this equipment," Austin said, after a meeting of NATO ministers in Brussels.

"This is a professional military, led by professional leadership, and we would hope and expect that they would do the right things in the prosecution of their campaign."

Hamas killed 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians, and took about 150 hostages in its onslaught Saturday. Israel has retaliated by raining air and artillery strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza for six days, claiming over 1,350 lives there.

Austin said the US had no "early warnings or indications" that the Islamist group would launch its bloody assault.

He refused to "define proportionality" after calls for Israel to show restraint in its bombing campaign on Gaza.

"The Israelis have a right to protect their people, and and we would expect that they're going to remain focused on that," Austin said.