The Pentagon announced Sunday that it was sending additional munitions to Israel and moving Navy warships closer to the country in a show of support, a day after Palestinian militants launched one of the broadest invasions on Israeli territory in 50 years.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he had ordered the aircraft carrier Gerald R Ford and five guided-missile cruisers and destroyers, which are in the Mediterranean Sea, to the eastern part of the sea, near Israel. Officials said the ships were en route but would take a few days to arrive.
Austin also said the United States was increasing the number of Air Force fighter jets and attack planes in the region to “bolster regional deterrence efforts.” The assistance “underscores the United States’ ironclad support for the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli people,” Austin said in a statement.
Austin’s announcement came as President Joe Biden assured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in a call Sunday morning that military assistance was on its way and more would follow.
The promise of military might was designed by the Biden administration to reassure Israelis of the United States’ commitment to their security and to demonstrate resolve to Hamas and Israel’s other adversaries in the region. It comes despite months of tension between Biden and Netanyahu over disagreements about the prime minister’s pursuit of judicial reforms that many Israelis say are undemocratic.
Pentagon officials said the deployment of additional forces was meant to deter Iran, Syria and any country or militant group from joining the conflict, as well as to provide enough ships, warplanes and other weaponry to protect Americans and U.S. interests in the region.
A senior Biden administration official said just hours after the attacks that the United States did not have intelligence that Iran was directly involved in planning the assault on Israel. But the official, who requested anonymity to discuss diplomatic and military planning, said Iran had long been deeply connected to Hamas, offering it financial support and military equipment.
U.S. officials said Sunday that they were also working through plans to evacuate thousands of Americans from Israel if necessary in what is called a “noncombatant evacuation.” Pentagon officials emphasized that no decisions have been made but that they were working through options, including one that involves putting some Americans on the Navy ships to get them to safety.