(Dan Tri) – The US continues to deploy an additional naval ship to the eastern Mediterranean Sea amid the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Rocket flies above destroyed buildings in Gaza (Photo: AP).
`The Blue Ridge Mount Whitney LCC 20 class command and control ship of the US 6th Fleet, USS, left Gaeta, Italy on October 18 to support US operations in the eastern Mediterranean,` announced the announcement.
The announcement confirmed that the USS Mount Whitney will be deployed to the US European Command area to interact with allies and partners, and support maritime activities here.
Newspaper Nikkei Asia (Japan) reported that 12,000 soldiers of the Navy and Marine Corps on 10 US warships have arrived or are about to arrive in the eastern Mediterranean region, close to Israel.
The US aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford has been deployed to the Mediterranean with more than 4,500 sailors on board, along with five ships carrying more than 1,600 military personnel.
In addition, the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower was also dispatched to the Middle East, carrying 5,000 soldiers on board, along with 3 escort ships carrying about 1,000 US soldiers.
Previously, the Washington Post and Fox News reported that the US military was sending more than 4,000 troops to the Middle East.
According to information from US defense officials, US forces deployed to the Middle East include members of the Navy and Marine Corps, including special forces units.
These soldiers are stationed on the amphibious assault ships Bataan, Carter Hall and Mesa Verde.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced on October 19 that a batch of US armored vehicles had arrived in Israel and these vehicles will replace Israeli vehicles damaged in the war with Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on October 18 that he had received a commitment to a `huge` and `unprecedented` military aid package from US President Joe Biden during the White House boss’s visit to Israel.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on October 19 called on the country’s armed forces to be `ready` to receive orders to enter the Gaza Strip.
During a visit to the area bordering the Gaza Strip on October 19, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the troops stationed here: `We will deal a strong blow to our opponents so that we can win the war.`
In an interview with NBC News, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said Israel may launch a bloody ground attack on the Gaza Strip in the coming days.
`The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will need to deploy tens of thousands of troops on the ground to eliminate every launch pad, every missile, every weapon, every training site of Hamas,` Mr. Barak declared.
Israel is gathering tens of thousands of soldiers with tanks, armored vehicles, combat vehicles and heavy weapons near the Gaza Strip, and vows to `completely eliminate` Hamas.
Over the past two weeks, Israel has blockaded and massively raided the Gaza Strip in response to the unprecedented attack by Hamas forces by land, air and sea on Israel on October 7.
