US President, Joe Biden pledged additional military aid to Israel following a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Biden pledged America’s full support for Israel, a White House spokesman said.
“The President emphasised that there is no justification whatsoever for terrorism, and all countries must stand united in the face of such brutal atrocities.”
Biden updated the Israeli premier on the “intensive diplomatic engagement” undertaken over the past 24 hours.
“The President also conveyed that additional assistance for the Israeli Defense Forces is now on its way to Israel with more to follow over the coming days,” the White House added.
“The leaders also discussed ongoing efforts to ensure that no enemies of Israel believe they can or should seek advantage from the current situation.”
Earlier, US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken made the rounds of talk shows to update US viewers on the fighting and on the US diplomatic response.
Speaking with CBS, Blinken said officials were also investigating reports that US citizens had been killed or taken captive by Hamas fighters.
“We can’t confirm that in this moment,” he said. “But we’re very actively working to see if we can confirm the reports that we’ve had.”
In Egypt, the US embassy in Cairo warned Americans to exercise “increased security awareness and precautions” following the shooting death of two Israeli citizens in the city of Alexandria.
The US military is deploying naval vessels and combat aircraft to “to bolster regional deterrence efforts” amid the ongoing fighting in Israel, a Pentagon statement said.
Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin said a fleet of vessels centred on a US Navy aircraft carrier has been directed to the eastern Mediterranean. This deployment also includes several guided missile cruisers and destroyers.
In addition, US Air Force squadrons in the Middle East are being augmented. “The US maintains forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture if required,” Austin added.
Extra resources, including munitions, are also being dispatched to Israel, with the first security assistance expected to arrive in the coming days. Austin said the action “underscores the United States’ ironclad support for the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli people.”
The BBC reports that US is planning to send warships, cruisers and an aircraft carrier closer to Israel in a bid “to bolster regional deterrence”.
The USS Gerald R. Ford and its approximately 5,000 sailors and deck of warplanes will be accompanied by cruisers and destroyers in a show of force that is meant to be ready to respond to anything, from possibly interdicting additional weapons from reaching Hamas and conducting surveillance.
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