The United States will send a second aircraft carrier to the Eastern Mediterranean “to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts to expand this war following the Hamas attack,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday. .
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The USS Eisenhower and its escort ships will join a first aircraft carrier – the USS Gerald R. Ford – deployed to the region after the bloody Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
This deployment shows “Washington’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and our determination to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this war,” Austin added in a statement.
The United States also began sending military aid to Israel on Sunday with new munitions, and warned its neighbors against an extension of the conflict.
At least 1,300 people, mostly civilians, including at least 130 foreign or dual nationals, have been killed in Israel since the bloody attack perpetrated by the Islamist group Hamas on October 7.
More than 2,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 724 children, according to local authorities, have died in the Gaza Strip, a poor territory wedged between Israel and Egypt.
President Joe Biden on Saturday evening underscored U.S. support for efforts to protect civilians in phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.