Washington DC, United States: The government of the United States of America has announced that it will send multiple military ships and aircraft closer to Israel.
This statement has been released by US Defense Secretary – Lloyd Austin. He stated that this action was to show Washington’s support towards the nation, which has been dealing with a surprise attack by Hamas.
He also outlined that the US would also increase military aid and will provide munitions to Israel if needed.
Austin stated that American security assistance began moving to Israel on Sunday. He also mentioned that the US is planning to add more fighter jets to the region. According to the orders by the US Defense Secretary, a carrier strike group will move closer to Israel. The group will be supported by a Ford carrier and ships.
The official statement by US Central Command read, “The United States has begun moving USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Eastern Mediterranean. This includes the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), as well as the Arleigh-Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), USS Ramage (DDG 61), USS Carney (DDG 64), and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80). We have also taken steps to augment US Air Force F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region. The US maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this posture if required,” a press release by the United States Central Command read.”
Hamas’ take on this action:
The Palestinian-aided terrorist group – Hamas has called this announcement an “aggression” against them. The group released a statement to show its disappointment.
The official statement read, “The announcement of the US that it will provide an aircraft carrier to support the occupation [Israel] is actual participation in the aggression against our people.”
Additional Assistance for the Israeli Army on its way, says Prez Biden:
On Sunday, US President Joe Biden assured Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States has sent additional assistance to support the Army of Israel.
Attack by Hamas could disrupt the normalizing relationship between Israel and Saudi Arabia:
The Defense Secretary showed concern over the diplomatic ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia and said that the latest attack by Hamas could also be aimed at disrupting a normalizing relationship.
A similar concern was shared by Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State. Emphasizing the same, Blinken stated, “It wouldn’t be a surprise that part of the motivation [for Hamas’s attack] may have been to disrupt efforts to bring Saudi Arabia and Israel together, along with other countries that may be interested in normalizing relations with Israel,” according to the reports by the CNN network.
Earlier in September, PM Netanyahu anticipated that his nation and Saudi Arabia were on the cusp of peace, predicting that the move would reshape the Middle East.
However, on Sunday, US Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer stated that the US hopes that the relationship between Israel and Saudi will not be affected after the latest attack. “We think it would be in both countries’ interests to continue to pursue this possibility,” he told Fox News.
Why Hamas attacked Israel:
The terrorist group Hamas has claimed that this attack was a reply to the escalated Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Jerusalem, West Bank and Israeli prisons.
The leader of the group – Ismail Haniyeh, outlined that the group started the attack after threats to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, the continuation of an Israeli blockade on Gaza and Israeli normalization with countries in the region, as per the reports by Al Jazeera.
Death toll surpasses 1,100:
According to the Israeli authorities, the death toll has risen to 700 people and around 2,100 are wounded. It is to be noted that most of the victims are civilians.
On the other hand, the Health Ministry of Palestine has stated that it has registered around 500 deaths, and 2,300 people are wounded.