Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he received the go-ahead from President Joe Biden to begin moving a massive strike force to the Eastern Mediterranean in what he said was an effort to deter further bloodshed in Israel. File photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI |
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Oct. 8 (UPI) -- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the deployment of several warships to the Middle East on Sunday as part of a new strategy to shore up the U.S. military presence in the region following the rise of conflict in Israel.
In a statement, Austin said the United States was sending an armada to the region a day after Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets at Israel in a surprise attack, killing 350 civilians and leading to retaliatory strikes from Israel that killed at least 313 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Thousands more have been injured or wounded.
Austin said he received the go-ahead from President Joe Biden to begin moving the massive strike force to the Eastern Mediterranean in what he said was an effort to deter further bloodshed in the region.
The fleet was being led by the USS Gerald R. Ford, and is being joined by the USS Normandy, a guided missile cruiser, and the guided missile destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and the USS Roosevelt.
Austin said the U.S. military would also "provide the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions," with "the first security assistance will begin moving today and arriving in the coming days."
"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," Lloyd wrote in the statement. "The U.S. maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture if required."
The statement condemned the ongoing violence in the region and voiced Washington's unwavering support for Israel, while blasting the "abhorrent terrorist attack by Hamas," Austin wrote. Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by Israel.
"My thoughts continue to be with the people of Israel and the many families who have lost loved ones," he said, without commenting on the violence faced by Palestinian civilians.
The latest eruption in the Middle East comes after decades of enduring hostilities between Israel and Palestine, which is recognized as a sovereign nation by most countries worldwide and has observer status with the United Nations.
Tensions in the region have surged in recent months as the Israeli military conducted thousands of raids in the Palestinian territory, which led to numerous deadly reprisals against Jewish soldiers and settlers making homes on Palestinian lands.
In April, Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated his support for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, which the United States has long been committed to in order to resolve the conflict.
Currently, however, political hardliners in Israel's ruling party oppose any concessions or perceived steps toward the full establishment of Palestinian statehood.
Last month, Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly where he put pressure on Netanyahu to maintain the possibility of the two-state peace plan, which envisions the creation of two separate and independent states, one for Israelis and one for Palestinians, living side by side in peace and security.
Many expect Israel and Palestine to adhere to borders established in 1968, just 20 years after the war that established Israel's independence from the British Palestinian Mandate.
However, a comprehensive peace agreement remains elusive, leaving the conflict to continue with no end in sight.
