Amid the deadly terrorist attacks launched by Hamas in Israel, several Western countries, including the US, UK, India, etc., have extended support to Israel and expressed solidarity with the Israeli government.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Sunday, 9th October that the country has directed American military ships, including an aircraft carrier and extra aircraft, to deploy closer to the eastern Mediterranean.
According to a National Security Council spokeswoman, some American citizens have been brutally murdered by the terrorists. The confirmation came after Austin’s direction to US aircraft carriers and ships to reach the Eastern Mediterranean in a show of support for Israel.
“Today, in response to this Hamas attack on Israel, and following detailed discussions with President Biden, I have directed several steps to strengthen Department of Defense posture in the region to bolster regional deterrence efforts,” Austin was quoted as saying on Sunday, 9th October.
Accordingly, the US aircraft, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), and the other ships in Carrier Strike Group 12, including Ticonderoga-Class Cruiser USS Normandy (CG-60) and Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyers USS Ramage (DDG-61), USS McFaul (DDG-74), and USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116) are believed to be heading towards the Eastern Mediterranean to support Israel and to offer assistance with the possible evacuation of the US citizens.
The U.S. Aircraft Carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) as well as the other Ships in Carrier Strike Group 12 which includes Ticonderoga-Class Cruiser USS Normandy (CG-60), as well as Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyers USS Ramage (DDG-61), USS McFaul (DDG-74), and USS Thomas Hudner… pic.twitter.com/FlV1tJT8DO
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) October 8, 2023
The USS Gerald R. Ford, based in Norfolk, was stationed in the western Mediterranean when it got instructions to deploy. It might have had to go over a thousand miles depending on its particular location.
USS Gerald R. Ford is the US Navy’s flagship carrier, its most advanced and lethal so far. It carries up to 90 aircraft and has nearly 6000 sailors on board. It had entered service in May this year.
Austin also revealed plans to strengthen US Air Force fighter plane squadrons in the region. Aircraft from the United States Air Force are being sent to sites in the Middle East, where they will be available for operations against Iran.
The munitions that the United States will deliver are being flown.
Reports mention that Austin talked with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant to express support for the people of Israel and to receive updates on Israel’s operation to restore security and safety from the Hamas terrorist attack. The duo will remain in close contact amid the mission.
President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also spoke on Sunday as revealed by the White House. The two leaders discussed Hamas’s kidnapping of Israeli hostages, with Biden stating to Netanyahu that US help for Israel’s Defence Forces was on its way, with more to come in the following days.
“The President emphasized that there is no justification whatsoever for terrorism, and all countries must stand united in the face of such brutal atrocities. President Biden updated the Prime Minister on the intensive diplomatic engagement undertaken by the United States over the last 24 hours in support of Israel,” the statement by the White House read.
Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah attacks Israel
Meanwhile, Israel exchanged fire with the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah on the Northern front, heightening the prospect of a larger regional struggle a day after Hamas launched an unprecedented surprise terrorist attack on southern Israel, killing hundreds of Israelis.
Hezbollah, supported by Iran, said it launched guided rockets and artillery into three Shebaa Farms installations “in solidarity” with the Palestinian people.
“On the path to liberate the remaining part of our occupied Lebanese land and in solidarity with the victorious Palestinian resistance and the steadfast Palestinian people, the groups of the martyr commander Hajj Imad Moghniyeh in the Islamic Resistance carried out an attack this Sunday, October 08, 2023, targeting 3 Zionist occupation sites in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms region,” Hezbollah said in a statement.
On Sunday, the Israeli military said it fired artillery into a region of Lebanon from where cross-border mortar fire was launched. The Israeli military says one of its drones hit a Hezbollah station in the Shebaa Farms neighborhood of Har Dov.
Hezbollah has fired rockets from a high school in the village of Kfar Shuba, using the children inside as human shields in an attack on an IDF base on Mount Dov. A mosque is also in close proximity to the high school, hindering the IDF from neutralizing the Hezbollah fighters.… pic.twitter.com/XvCspukFcd
— Israel-Alma (@Israel_Alma_org) October 8, 2023
According to Israel, its soldiers “are now attacking with artillery fire the area in Lebanon from where the shooting was carried out a few minutes ago into Israeli territory”. According to Israeli soldiers, they are “prepared for all scenarios and will continue to protect the security of residents of the State of Israel.”
Since 1967, Tel Aviv has maintained the Shebaa Farms, a 39-square-kilometer (15-square-mile) plot of land. Both Syria and Lebanon claim control of the Shebaa Farms.
It was reported yesterday that Hezbollah had already notified Israel that if Israeli forces land in Gaza, then Hezbollah will enter to attack from the Northern front. Media reports have highlighted that Hezbollah has been armed and trained by Iran.
Israel attacked by Hamas terrorists, over 700 Israelis killed
On Saturday (7th October), a devastating conflict erupted between the terrorist organization Hamas and Israel, resulting in a tragic toll of at least 700 casualties and over 2,000 injuries.
Hamas unleashed over 5,000 rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel, while also seizing several Israeli soldiers near the border. The terrorists also have held several Israelis hostage including women, children, and the elderly. They have killed several civilians in indiscriminate firing and videos of the incident doing rounds on the internet reveal that they had also paraded women bared and bruised on the streets of Israeli towns.
In a video statement, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel was engaged in a state of war and warned that Hamas would face consequences for initiating an attack on Israel.
He said, “We are at war, not an operation. Hamas has launched a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel and its citizens. I ordered first of all to cleanse the settlements of the terrorists who had infiltrated and ordered a large-scale mobilization of reserves. The enemy will pay a price they have never known.”
Following the massive attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted from his X handle that his thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims of the attack on Israel by the Hamas terrorists. On India’s stand, Consul General of Israel, Kobbi Shoshani has also thanked India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour.”
Hamas is an acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya, which means “Islamic Resistance Movement” in English. It was founded by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin who was a Palestinian cleric. In 1997, the United States designated Hamas a foreign terrorist organization.
Over 260 bodies of civilians have been recovered from a site where a music festival was underway when the Hamas terrorists started firing indiscriminately. Hundreds of civilians and soldiers alike, including children, have been abducted. A German tourist named Shani Louk was abducted and murdered, and her naked body was paraded by Hamas terrorists in a pickup truck inside Gaza. Eye witness accounts state that women in the music festival were raped near the dead bodies of their friends. Many of them were later executed.
