The Department of Defense is surging military aid to Israel following the unprecedented terrorist attack that has left roughly 700 dead and thousands wounded.
DOD is sending air defense aid and munitions to Israel, according to a senior defense official, who declined to provide specific information about what weapons were on their way.
ISRAEL ORDERS 'TOTAL SIEGE' OF GAZA IN AFTERMATH OF UNPRECEDENTED TERROR ATTACK BY HAMAS
"First of all, with supporting Israel's defense, we are surging support to Israel that includes air defense and munitions," the official said on Monday afternoon. "We remain in constant ongoing contact with our counterparts in Israel to determine and then support their most urgent requirements. I am not going to get into specifics on this call. But the bottom line is we are working as fast as possible to provide critically needed munitions of various types and other equipment."
The initial aid package is "on the way" but has not arrived as of Monday evening, National Security Council coordinator John Kirby told reporters.
DOD has also contacted U.S. defense contractors to expedite pending Israeli military orders that may have been previously considered routine.
"We're also working across the DOD enterprise, including with U.S. Central Command to assess what munitions and other equipment are in U.S. inventories that can be made quickly available for Israel," the official continued. "All of these are actions we're undertaking within our existing authority and appropriations."
The department is also working with Congress “to ensure that the appropriate authority and appropriations are available to support and respond to crises and contingencies.”
Hamas and other Islamic militants carried out a multipronged attack on Saturday in which they caught Israel off guard. Hundreds of militants killed, raped, and overran Israeli communities near the border with Gaza in the southern part of the country. The death toll in Israel is above 700, though that figure will likely continue to rise, and it appears most were civilians.
A day after terror attacks began, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the movement of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the eastern Mediterranean. The United States also deployed additional Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region.
The U.S. opted to strengthen its presence in the region to deter other entities hostile to Israel from capitalizing on the chaos.
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“We are deeply concerned about Hezbollah making the wrong decision and choosing to open a second front to this conflict. We are working with Israel and with our partners across the region to contain this to Gaza,” the official said. “And it's one of the main reasons why we adjusted our posture so quickly to increase our maritime presence in the eastern Mediterranean because Iran and adversaries like Lebanese Hezbollah should not question the commitment of the U.S. government to support the defense of Israel.”
Hezbollah, another regional terror group, is based in Lebanon, and there has been increased concern that it could attack Israel from the north. There was a limited flair-up on Monday that resulted in the deaths of a couple of Hezbollah fighters.