US sends warships to eastern Mediterranean in support of Israel
- The Pentagon said it was sending the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its accompanying warships
- The White House has moved quickly to affirm US backing for Israel after Saturday’s surprise attack by Hamas
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Sunday he has ordered the Ford carrier strike group to sail to the eastern Mediterranean to be ready to help Israel after the attack by Hamas that has left more than 1,000 dead on both sides. Americans were reported to be among those killed and missing.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the US Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, and its around 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 intercepting additional weapons from reaching Hamas and conducting surveillance.
The large deployment, which also includes a host of ships and warplanes, underscores the concern that the United States has in trying to deter the conflict from growing.
But the Israeli government formally declared war on Sunday and gave the green light for “significant military steps” to retaliate against Hamas.
Preliminary reports indicate that at least four American citizens have been killed in the Hamas attacks and an additional seven were missing and unaccounted for, according to a US official.