A number of U.S. military ships and aircraft will be deployed closer to Israel in the near future, it was announced.
The U.S. military will send ships and aircraft closer to Israel’s coast, said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday, coming after a series of Hamas attacks on southern Israel over the weekend.
Earlier Sunday, a statement issued by the Israeli Prime Minister’s office said the country’s Security Cabinet declared a “state of war” after the Hamas attacks. It’s the first such declaration since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
A statement issued by Mr. Austin on Sunday said that he directed the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the eastern portion of the Mediterranean Sea, or closer to the Israeli coast. That includes the USS Gerald R. Ford Navy aircraft carrier, a guided missile cruiser, guided-missile destroyers, and a range of different fighter jets.
“We have also taken steps to augment U.S. Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region,” the Pentagon chief’s statement said. “The United States maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture if required.”
The U.S. government will also quickly provide the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) with more equipment, ammunition, and other resources. That security package, according to the DOD, will arrive in “the coming days.”
“Strengthening our joint force posture, in addition to the material support that we will rapidly provide to Israel, underscores the United States’ ironclad support for the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli people,” Mr. Austin said. “My team and I will continue to be in close contact with our Israeli counterparts to ensure they have what they need to protect their citizens and defend themselves against these heinous terrorist attacks.
It comes after the attack by the Hamas terrorist group that was launched at dawn on Saturday, which represented the biggest and deadliest incursion into Israel since Egypt and Syria launched a sudden assault in an effort to reclaim lost territory in the Yom Kippur War 50 years ago. At least 600 people were killed on Saturday and Sunday, according to reports by Israeli TV stations; Israel has not released an official death toll.
By Jack Phillips
