Israel-Palestine conflict | US sends warships to support Israel amid ongoing war with Hamas
Oct 09, 2023
New Delhi, October 9 (ANI): As the Israel-Gaza conflict escalates, the US has extended its full support to Israel amid grim situation. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the US will send multiple military ships and aircraft closer to Israel. “I have directed the movement of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Eastern Mediterranean. This includes the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), as well as the Arleigh-Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), USS Ramage (DDG 61), USS Carney (DDG 64), and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80). 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. The U.S. maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture if required,” said Lloyd Austin, Defence Secretary, United States. Hamas fighters rampaged through Israeli towns as the country suffered its bloodiest day in decades. President Biden had said that the US stands in solidarity with Israel in the face of terrorist assaults by Hamas. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also thanked Joe Biden for his words. Islamist group Hamas killed more than 700 Israelis and abducted dozens more in the ongoing war. Israel also retaliated by hitting housing blocks, tunnels, a mosque, and homes of Hamas officials in Gaza. According to Reuters, more than 400 people were killed in Gaza, and over 700 people lost their lives in Israel.