Following the unexpected attack by the Palestinian armed organization Hamas on Saturday, the United States has announced that it will send numerous military ships and aircraft closer to Israel as a show of support.
According to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Washington will also enhance its military assistance to Israel and supply it with ammunition.
“The announcement of the US that it will provide an aircraft carrier to support the occupation [Israel] is actually participation in the aggression against our people,” the group said in a statement.
On Sunday, Israel pounded the embattled Gaza Strip with airstrikes, killing hundreds of people on both sides, according to reports.
Austin claims that the US believes the most recent strike by Hamas may have been carried out with the intention of preventing the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Austin stated that the US would also be sending more fighter jets to the area on Sunday in addition to the security assistance to Israel.
The Ford carrier and its supporting ships will be moved closer to Israel as part of a carrier strike group that the US has also ordered.
Austin issued a statement saying, “I have directed the movement of the USS Gerald R Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Eastern Mediterranean.”
On Sunday, US Vice President Joe Biden informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that further support for the Israeli army was on the way.
