“USS Eisenhower”
USA sends another aircraft carrier to Israel
The aircraft carrier “USS Eisenhower” is on its way to Israel.
© US Department of Defense/US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ryan D. McLearnon / AFP
In order to prevent a conflagration in Israel and the Middle East, the USA is sending the aircraft carrier “USS Eisenhower” to the crisis region. It is the second warship that the Americans have relocated.
Following Hamas’ attack on Israel, the USA is increasing its military presence in the conflict region. Washington is sending a second aircraft carrier to the eastern Mediterranean “to deter hostile actions against Israel or any attempts to expand this war,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday (local time). Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden reiterated his support for protecting the civilian population in view of the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
As the Pentagon announced on Saturday, the “USS Eisenhower” will join the aircraft carrier “USS Gerald R. Ford”, which was previously relocated to the region. This increased deployment following the major attack by the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas Israel signals Washington’s “iron-clad commitment to Israel’s security and our determination to deter any state or non-state actor who attempts to escalate this war,” said Pentagon chief Austin.
Hamas attacked Israel with a major attack last Saturday. According to the latest Israeli government information, at least 120 people have been kidnapped as hostages in the Gaza Strip. According to the Israeli army, more than 1,300 people have been killed on the Israeli side in the attacks in southern Israel.
USA calls for protection of civilians in the Gaza Strip
The Israeli army subsequently attacked the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas authorities, more than 2,200 people have been killed so far.
With a view to expected Israeli military operations against Hamas in the coming days, US Defense Secretary Austin pointed to the protection of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. In a telephone conversation with his Israeli colleague Joav Gallant, Austin explained “the importance of complying with the laws of war, including obligations to protect civilians,” the US Department of Defense said.
The minister also asked his Israeli colleague about dealing with the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip “while Israel continues its operations to restore security.”
Because of the conflict with Israel: Biden calls Abbas on the phone
US President Biden also assured the head of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, Mahmoud Abbas, that his country would support “all efforts to protect the civilian population”. Both politicians spoke on the phone on Saturday for the first time since the major Hamas attack on Israel.
At the same time, the US President condemned “Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel” in the conversation with the Palestinian President. According to the White House, Biden told Abbas that Hamas “does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination.”
In addition to Abbas, Biden also spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. With regard to the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, the White House said, he also reiterated his support for all efforts to protect the civilian population.
In addition, the US President discussed with Netanyahu the US’s “coordination with the United Nations, Egypt, Jordan, Israel and other” countries in the region. The White House said he wanted to “ensure that innocent civilians have access to water, food and medical care.”
The Israeli army had asked all civilians in Gaza to leave the city to the south within 24 hours. On Saturday evening, an army spokesman said Israel was giving residents more time. According to the UN, around 1.1 million Palestinians are affected.
The World Health Organization warned of a worsening “humanitarian catastrophe”. A “forced” transfer of around 2,000 hospital patients and health workers to the southern Gaza Strip could be “akin to a death sentence,” the Geneva-based organization said on Saturday. In addition, the health facilities in the south of the Gaza Strip have “already reached their capacity limits”.
Even before the evacuation call, the Israeli government had ordered the complete closure of the Gaza Strip and the import of fuel, food and drinking water was stopped.