The United States is strengthening its presence in the Middle East following the deadly Hamas attacks on Israel this weekend by moving planes and ships closer to the conflict.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement on Sunday that he has directed the movement of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Eastern Mediterranean. This includes the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, a missile cruiser, and several missile destroyers.
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"We have also taken steps to augment U.S. Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region," Austin said. "The U.S. maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture if required."
The U.S. will also be "rapidly providing" additional equipment and resources to the Israeli Defense Forces, including munitions, Austin said. The first security assistance will begin moving on Sunday and arriving in the coming days, he said.
"Strengthening our joint force posture, in addition to the material support that we will rapidly provide to Israel, underscores the United States’ ironclad support for the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli people," Austin said.
"My team and I will continue to be in close contact with our Israeli counterparts to ensure they have what they need to protect their citizens and defend themselves against these heinous terrorist attacks."
This announcement comes after President Joe Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday morning. Biden assured Netanyahu that assistance for the IDF is on the way and "discussed ongoing efforts to ensure that no enemies of Israel believe they can or should seek advantage from the current situation," per the White House.
The Hamas attack, launched early Saturday, has left as many as 600 Israelis dead and 2,000 wounded. The Israeli counterattack in Gaza and at Hamas structures has left 313 Palestinians dead and 1,990 wounded.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday in multiple TV interviews that the U.S. is "working overtime" to verify reports that Americans are among the missing, captured, or dead in the wake of Hamas's attack. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan also believes that there are dozens of American nationals being held in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian enclave under Hamas control.
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Blinken said on Meet the Press on Sunday that the U.S. is also looking at the extent to which Iran was involved in the attack on Israel, if at all. Right now, he said, the U.S. does not have any evidence Iran had a hand in planning or carrying out the attack out.
Many have slammed the Biden administration for unfreezing $6 billion of frozen Iranian oil revenue as part of a prisoner exchange that they believe could fuel the Hamas terrorist attack. However, Blinken said on CNN on Sunday that no money has been spent from the unfrozen funds that are intended for humanitarian purposes.