The Biden administration on Sunday deployed a Navy aircraft carrier group and Air Force fighter jets to the Middle East and rushed munitions to Israel hoping the show of force will deter the Hamas conflict from escalating into a regional war.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin conferred with President Joe Biden before redirecting significant military might to the eastern Mediterranean.
Austin also coordinated activities with Israeli officials throughout the day, as some Americans were killed and others taken hostage in the terrorist attack that began Saturday.
“I have directed the movement of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Eastern Mediterranean,” Austin announced. “This includes the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), as well as the Arleigh-Burke-class guided missile destroyers.”