The US military put 2,000 soldiers on alert for eventual deployment in response to the possible escalation of the conflict between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas in Gaza, the Pentagon announced Tuesday.
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US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin put personnel and a number of units “on high alert through a readiness to deploy order”the Pentagon said in a statement, to be able to “respond quickly to the evolving security environment in the Middle East.”
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American media reported that troops would cover support functions, such as medical assistance and explosives handling.
“No decision has been made regarding the deployment of forces at this time,” Austin added.
No decision has been made on the deployment of forces at this time.
The measure comes as the US president, Democrat Joe Biden, travels to Israel on Wednesday to express Washington’s explicit support for its main ally in the region.
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Biden will have the mission of preventing the escalation of the war in the Gaza Strip from spreading and generating a broader conflict in the Middle East.
The United States has already deployed two aircraft carriers in the region “to deter hostile actions against Israel”Austin said last week.
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As Biden prepared for his trip to Israel, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he will work to pass a special aid package for Israel “hopefully within the next few weeks.”
This package will include military, humanitarian, intelligence and diplomatic aid.Schumer said Tuesday on the Senate floor.
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“With the House in disarray, the Senate will not wait to vote on an Israeli aid package,” he stressed, referring to the fact that the Lower House of Congress has been paralyzed in recent weeks by a struggle by Republican legislators to try to elect a president. of the body, following the overthrow of Kevin McCarthy on October 3, by the far-right faction of the party.
Biden travels to Israel
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, travels to Israel this Tuesday night to express his support for the Government of Benjamin Netanyahu, which is preparing a major incursion into the Gaza Strip, and to explore the opening of a corridor to facilitate entry. of humanitarian aid in the enclave.
Biden will also visit Jordan to meet with ePalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordanian King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi; and will launch a message to dissuade Iran and other actors from entering the conflict.
The trip was announced on Monday night by surprise by Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, in Jerusalem after an almost eight-hour meeting with Netanyahu and the Israeli war cabinet.
The head of US diplomacy made the announcement after extracting from Netanyahu a commitment to develop a “plan” that would allow international humanitarian aid access to Gaza and the creation of safe areas for civilians.
INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL
*With information from AFP and EFE
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