2023-10-18 14:20:40
The United States Army put 2,000 soldiers on alert for eventual deployment in response to the possible escalation of the conflict between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas in Gaza, a day before President Joe Biden’s arrival in Israel.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin placed personnel and a number of units “on high alert through a deployment readiness order,” the Pentagon said in a statement, in order to “rapidly respond to the evolving security environment.” in the Middle East”. “No decision has been made to deploy forces at this time,” the text clarified.
Austin also approved the extension of the stay in the area of the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group, belonging to the Sixth Operations Fleet of the US Naval Forces. This strike group was at the end of its six-month deployment, but an extension was established before the start of the war on October 7.
Biden’s tour
The announcement came a few hours after Biden’s trip to Israel to show the United States’ support for its main partner in the region. In an appearance from Tel Aviv, Secretary of State Antony Blinken reported that the Democratic president arrives to learn first-hand what the country needs “to defend its people” and express his “strong commitment” to this objective after the attacks of Hamas that provoked the Israeli declaration of war.
In a call with the media, White House Homeland Security spokesman John Kirby added that Biden plans to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials in his government. “We would not be talking about a trip like this if we did not feel comfortable that the appropriate security parameters exist,” said the spokesperson, while affirming that there will not be a press conference by the president in Israeli territory.
As part of the agenda, Biden will also go to Jordan to hold a meeting with King Abdullah, the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah al Sisi, and the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. The idea of the meeting is to discuss humanitarian aid and the possible opening of a corridor at the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
“We want to make sure that humanitarian assistance begins to flow” and that there is “safe passage for people to leave,” particularly “American citizens, about 100 who have not been able to leave Gaza,” explained Kirby, who did not He wanted to give an opening date. “We would like to see it flow and obviously as soon as possible because there is a need, but I can’t give you a date tonight,” she added.
At the military level, the head of the Central Command (CENTCOM) of the United States Armed Forces, Michael Kurilla, arrived in Israel this Tuesday to meet with military commanders such as the chief of the General Staff, Herzi Halevi, to see what the needs are. defense of Israel. “I am here to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself, and specifically I am focused on preventing other parties from expanding the conflict,” Kurilla said in a CENTCOM statement.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United States House of Representatives, Michael McCaultold CNN that the commission is working on the text of a bill to authorize the use of US military force in the Middle East, “should it become necessary” following an expansion of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“I hope I never have to discuss this bill. But we have a situation in the Middle East that is growing in intensity day by day, and if there were Hezbollah involvement… Iran has already threatened that if Gaza is (invaded by the Israel Defense Forces), if the Israel Defense Forces will enter Gaza , they will intervene,” said the parliamentarian.
Hamas’s position
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem assured that Biden’s visit serves as an economic and moral motivation to commit “more massacres against the Palestinians”, as well as reproaching the “aggressive” stance against the Palestinians by the North American government. “Unfortunately, the US administration and President Biden took a very aggressive stance against the Palestinian people, falling into the Israeli narrative,” the spokesperson said in a telephone interview with CNN. “His visit is only to financially and morally support the Israelis, encourage the occupation and commit more massacres against our Palestinian brothers and sisters, children and elderly,” he stressed.
Qassem also denounced that at least “two-thirds” of the victims of the Israeli bombings this Tuesday were women and children fleeing from the north to the south of Gaza. This is added to the confirmation of the death of one of the top military leaders of the Islamist organization, Ayman Noufal, by the Palestinian group itself and the Israeli Army. In this way, the number of senior members of the group since the beginning of the war was raised to at least eight.
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