More than 800 service members administratively separated from the military under the now-repealed policy will receive discharge upgrades.

The Pentagon on Tuesday granted honorable discharges to more than 800 veterans who were separated from the U.S. military because of their sexual orientation during the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which was in effect from February 1994 to September 2011.

The policy prohibited openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual people from serving in the armed forces. The policy took effect in 1994 during the Clinton administration and was considered a compromise measure from a previous Defense Department policy that prohibited gay and lesbian people from serving.

The telephone call came after a recent letter sent by Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to their Israeli counterparts which said Israel must improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza within 30 days, particularly by facilitating the delivery of international aid, or risk an American arms embargo.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday and discussed Israel's operations in Lebanon and the humanitarian situation in Gaza after a letter earlier this week to Israel from Washington that urged improvement of Gaza's humanitarian situation.

The top U_N_ humanitarian official is accusing Israel of blocking the delivery of desperately needed aid to Gaza, and the U_S_ ambassador is demanding that its government step up efforts to tackle the Palestinian territory’s ”intolerable and catastrophic humanitarian crisis.