Conditions for a major conflagration in Southwest Asia are building, and must be headed off so that recent dramatic steps towards reconciliation and joint development between the once-hostile nations and peoples can continue.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced Sunday afternoon that he has ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group—including the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, one guided missile cruiser, and four guided missile destroyers—into the Eastern Mediterranean. U.S. Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region have likewise been “augmented,” he reported, adding that, if required, “the U.S. maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture.” And the first shipments to the Israeli Defense Forces of additional equipment and resources, including munitions but not further specified, will “begin moving today and arriving in the coming days.”
Thirty-six hours after the Hamas assault began, the fighting continues, with hundreds on both sides dead and thousands wounded. The scale of Hamas’ attack is notable. Tony Blinken told ABC News today that about 1,000 Hamas fighters had entered Israel from Gaza. There are reports that the number of rockets fired into Israel reached up to 5,000, overwhelming its “Iron Dome” missile defense system. Israel declared a state of war officially today.
