The Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) and aircraft assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 fly over the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) in the Atlantic Ocean on March 3, 2021. US Navy Photo
Sun 15 October 2023:
The Pentagon has dispatched a second carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean Sea, as Israel prepared to escalate its operations in Gaza, according to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a statement issued Saturday, CNN reported.
The US warships are not intended to participate in the battle in Gaza or in Israel’s operations, but their presence is intended to send a message of deterrence to Iran and Iranian proxies in the region, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The movements are “part of our effort to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas’s attack on Israel,” Austin said in the statement.
Now the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower strike group, which deployed from Norfolk, Virginia, on Friday, is headed to the eastern Mediterranean. The aircraft carrier was initially set to sail for the waters of US European Command.
The Eisenhower, which is the flagship of the carrier strike group, will be joined by a guided-missile cruiser and two guided-missile destroyers, Austin’s statement said.
The Eisenhower can carry more than 60 aircraft, including F/A-18 fighter jets. The Ford can deploy more than 75 aircraft.
ABC News first reported the carrier strike group’s orders.
US forces not there to aid Israel
The Biden administration made clear that the carrier, and its accompanying force, are not there to engage in combat activities on behalf of Israel.
“There is no intention or plan to put American troops on the ground in Israel,” said John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, on Thursday. Kirby underscored that the purpose of the increased military presence in the region is to deter others from entering the conflict if they perceive weakness on the part of Israel.
“We take our national security interests very seriously in the region,” he said, noting that the purpose of the bolstered force posture was “to act as a deterrent for any other actor, including Hezbollah, that might think that widening this conflict is a good idea.”
Israeli military prepared for ‘coordinated’ air and ground offensive in Gaza
Israel’s military has announced it is prepared for a “coordinated” air, ground and naval offensive in Gaza.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) released a statement stating it is preparing to “implement a wide range of operational offensive plans” – without saying when these would take place.
The plans may include “combined and coordinated strikes from the air, sea and land”, it said.
It added that equipment required for combat has been “transferred to the relevant forces” in recent days.
“IDF battalions and soldiers are deployed across the country and are increasing operational readiness for the next stages of the war, with an emphasis on significant ground operations,” the statement read.
This follows a video emerging of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visiting forces outside the Gaza Strip.
In it, Netanyahu asks them: “You ready for the next stage? The next stage is coming.”
He did not give any more details in the video, which showed infantrymen nodding in response.
Yesterday, Israel told the 1.1 million residents of north Gaza to flee south – a request described by the UN as “impossible”.
