“US Deploys Military to Eastern Mediterranean Amid Israel-Hamas Conflict.”
The United States has announced its intentions to deploy military assets to the eastern Mediterranean region and provide additional equipment and ammunition to Israel in response to the recent Hamas attack on southern Israel, which President Biden characterized as an “unprecedented and appalling assault.” According to a spokesperson from US National Security, several US citizens are among the casualties resulting from the conflict.
Israel has reported over 700 fatalities and the abduction of 100 individuals as a result of the hostilities. In Gaza, Palestinian officials have indicated that over 400 people have been killed due to Israeli retaliatory airstrikes.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revealed that the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, a missile cruiser, and four missile destroyers are en route to the region, along with US fighter jets. The White House has also confirmed that additional military aid will be provided to Israel in the coming days, with the objective of preventing Israel’s adversaries from exploiting the situation.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi expressed support for the Hamas attack, holding Israel responsible for destabilizing the region. Hamas has acknowledged receiving assistance from Iran, which aided in carrying out the attack involving rockets, drones, militants using paragliders, and hundreds of fighters breaching Israeli border fortifications around the Gaza Strip.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that while there is no direct evidence of Iranian involvement in this specific attack, Iran has been providing support to Hamas for many years. At a UN Security Council meeting, Iran denied involvement in the attack on Israel. Blinken also acknowledged reports of American citizens being affected by the attack, emphasizing the need to verify these reports.
The conflict has drawn condemnation from various countries, including the UK, France, Ukraine, and Thailand, which have reported casualties. Israeli authorities continue to search for hundreds of missing individuals, including 23-year-old American-Israeli Hersh Golberg-Polin, who was attending a music festival in the desert when militants stormed the event. His parents received messages from him, expressing love and apologies, amid the chaos. Israel’s ambassador to the US, Michael Herzog, has indicated that Americans are among the abducted soldiers and civilians in southern Israel, although specific details remain unclear.
