The Department of Defense is sending “a small number” of additional troops to the Middle East amid a recent spike in tension between Israel and Hezbollah, which is based in Lebanon.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder announced the department’s decision on Monday, though he declined to specify what service branches will be involved and how many troops would be deploying to the region.
“I will say, in light of increased tension in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional U.S. military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in the region,” Ryder said. “But for operation security reasons, I’m not going to comment on or provide specifics.”
The aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman deployed to the Mediterranean Sea on Monday for a regularly scheduled deployment.
Israel carried out a significant airstrike campaign into Lebanon on Monday that hit approximately 800 targets, including buildings where Hezbollah reportedly hid rockets, missiles, launchers, and drones. The Lebanese health minister said more than 350 people were killed and more than 1,200 people were wounded in the strikes, though that doesn’t distinguish civilians from combatants.
Israeli officials urged Lebanese civilians living near Hezbollah military sites or in homes used by Hezbollah to store weapons to evacuate those areas.
The Israeli military’s objective is to push Hezbollah back from the southern part of Lebanon, which borders Israel and is where Hezbollah’s attacks have primarily originated from. Hezbollah has been firing rockets, missiles, and drones from southern Lebanon into northern Israel since last October in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack, which had put Israel on a war footing.
Israel has evacuated thousands of civilians from the northern part of the country due to the threat that Hezbollah could try a cross-border raid like Hamas, but Hezbollah’s continued firing of projectiles into Israel has not allowed those civilians to return to their homes yet.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant on Saturday and Sunday amid the escalating situation.
“During both calls, Secretary Austin reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself as Hezbollah extends its attacks deeper into Israel,” Ryder stated. “He stressed the importance of finding a path to a diplomatic solution that will allow residents on both sides of the border to return to their homes as quickly and safely as possible, as well as reaching a Gaza ceasefire deal that will bring all of the hostages home.”
Over the weekend, the State Department urged Americans living in Lebanon to leave via commercial flights while they’re available.
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“Due to the unpredictable nature of ongoing conflict between [Hezbollah] and Israel and recent explosions throughout Lebanon, including Beirut, the U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to depart Lebanon while commercial options still remain available. At this time, commercial flights are available, but at reduced capacity,” the department’s advisory said.