These included the aircraft carrier “USS Gerald R. Ford”, the Air Force cruiser “USS Normandy” and four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, the US Department of Defense announced on Sunday. The US will also provide additional equipment and ammunition to the Israeli armed forces.
A first delivery will be dispatched on Sunday and will arrive in Israel in the coming days. This was announced by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Air Force should move in
Preparations have also been made to relocate Air Force squadrons with their fighter jets to the region, it said. The first delivery will be set in motion on Sunday, it was said. Austin said the U.S. was emphasizing its support for the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli people.
New military aid is on the way to Israel and more will follow in the coming days, said US President Joe Biden in a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, according to the White House.
Hundreds dead, thousands injured
The Islamist Hamas launched surprise rocket attacks against Israel from Gaza on Saturday morning. At the same time, armed Palestinians advanced into Israel by land, sea and air. Hundreds of Israelis were killed and several thousand injured.
Hamas fighters took hostages in several Israeli towns and also abducted dozens of people to the Gaza Strip. Israel responded to the attacks with counterattacks on the Gaza Strip, leaving several hundred dead and injured. Fighting and shelling of Israel continued on Sunday. Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU, the USA and Israel.
Since its founding, Israel has received more than $125 billion (118 billion euros) in military aid from the United States, according to a 2021 US State Department report.
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