Days after resistance group Hamas conducted its potent response against the unabated Zionist brutality, President Joe Biden sent US ships for deployment near Israel in support of the oppressive Israel Sunday as Washington released further military assistance to fight against Palestinians.
In a statement, the Pentagon said that it was sending the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its accompanying warships to the eastern Mediterranean while boosting fighter aircraft squadrons in the region.
A confirmation was also provided by the US Central Command Sunday afternoon that ships and planes started moving to their ordered positions.
The US — a major arms supplier of Israel — announced its support to Te Aviv after Saturday's surprise attack from the Gaza Strip, vowing "rock solid" support and warning parties to stay out of the standoff.
In conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden "conveyed that additional assistance for the Israeli Defense Forces, according to White House, with more to follow over the coming days.
"The leaders also discussed ongoing efforts to ensure that no enemies of Israel believe they can or should seek advantage from the current situation," it said in a statement.
The US president further "pledged his full support for the Government and people of Israel in the face of an unprecedented and appalling assault by Hamas."
Hamas later accused the US in a statement of "actual participation in the aggression against our people by moving the aircraft carrier."
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict's worst escalation in decades has killed more than 600 lives on the Israeli side, the government press office said. At the same time, Gaza officials reported at least 400 people embraced martyrdom in brutal Israeli air strikes.
Netanyahu called a long war ahead, with tens of thousands of occupied Israeli forces already deployed to battle holdout Hamas forces and prepare a possible Gaza ground offensive.
The conflict has stoked fears of a wider conflagration. Lebanon's Hezbollah movement said Sunday it had fired shells and missiles at Israeli positions.
With tensions rising, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he was sending forces to "bolster regional deterrence efforts after discussions with Biden."
"As well as the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier, this deployment includes a guided missile cruiser and four guided missile destroyers," Austin said in a statement.
"The US government will be rapidly providing the IDF with additional equipment and resources, including munitions," added Austin, who also spoke with his Israeli counterpart Sunday.
The movement of US ships and planes and the aid to Israel "underscores the United States' ironclad support for the IDF and the Israeli people."
The US Sunday afternoon led calls for condemnation of a Hamas assault on Israel at the United Nations Security Council.
"I expect to hear from the other Council members very strong condemnation of these heinous acts of terrorism committed against the Israeli people and their government," senior US diplomat Robert Wood told reporters.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier that Biden ordered his administration to give Israel "everything it needs in this moment to deal with the attacks from Hamas."
"A number of Americans may also have been taken hostage," Blinken said.
"We have reports that several Americans were killed. We're working overtime to verify that. At the same time, there are reports of missing Americans and there again, we´re working to verify those reports," Blinken said.
He told ABC that "this is a massive terrorist attack that is gunning down Israeli civilians in their towns, in their homes, and as we've seen so graphically, literally dragging people across the border with Gaza."
"So, you can imagine the impact this is having throughout Israel. And the world should be revolted at what it has seen," Blinken added.
State and local authorities throughout the US — including in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Houston — said there would be increased security presence at US synagogues in the coming days, though there was no specific threat.
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