An SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter lands on the flight deck of the multi-role amphibious assault ship USS Bataan Stocktrek Images via Getty Images
- Two thousand Marines and sailors are en route to Israel, a defense official told CNN.
- The US has so far deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region.
- Several reports suggest that this move could strengthen Israel ahead of its expected ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.
According to CNN, US troops are heading to the shores of Israel as the US continues to reaffirm its support for the Middle Eastern country.
A defense official who spoke to the medium said a rapid reaction force of 2,000 U.S. Marines and sailors was en route to Israel’s coast. It is unclear whether this team would join the heavily armed US Navy aircraft carrier strike groups sent to the Mediterranean country’s coast on Sunday. The USS Gerald R. Ford arrived last Tuesday, while the USS Eisenhower departed on Saturday.
According to an unnamed defense official, Fox News reported that the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit was the Marine unit deployed to Israel.
The news comes after multiple media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal and CNN, reported that the Pentagon alerted about 2,000 troops on Sunday to prepare for possible deployment to the region. According to the Journal, this task force, ordered by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, would provide medical care to Israel and advise the Israeli armed forces.
Fox News reported that the rapid response team troops were not the ones who were warned of a possible deployment.
Several reports suggest that this move could strengthen Israel ahead of its expected ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.
Although U.S. officials have not yet publicly confirmed reports of the troop mobilization, the news comes on the same day as President Joe Biden’s announcement of planned trips to Israel and Jordan on Wednesday. The president’s visit to the war zone is a gesture of continued U.S. support for Israel, one of the country’s closest allies.
The Biden administration had previously said it would not provide combat troops to Israel. IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus reiterated this position on Tuesday
Following last weekend’s Hamas terror attack, Israel declared war on the militant group and began aerial bombardment of Gaza, a swath of land that is home to 2.3 million civilians. Human rights groups called for an immediate end to the strikes and fighting.
At least 1,300 people were killed in Israel. At least 2,808 people were killed in Gaza and 58 people in the West Bank. Many of the victims are civilians.
The White House and Pentagon did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
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