Middle East conflict: US puts 2,000 troops on alert

The US has put 2,000 troops on alert as the Middle East conflict escalates. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin The military has been ordered to prepare for a possible deployment, a Pentagon spokesman said Tuesday. “This increases the ability of the defense sector to respond quickly to the changing security environment in the Middle East.”

However, the spokesperson clarified that no decision has been taken yet regarding the deployment of troops. Director of Communications for the US National Security Council, John Kirby, told the news station CNN, military personnel may not engage in hostilities in Israel. This is about the “stop signal”. “We don’t want this conflict to escalate and spread,” Kirby said. Loud CNN And this The Wall Street Journal The 2,000 American soldiers placed on alert could be used to advise or provide medical aid to the Israeli military.

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Biden will visit Israel

President of the United States Joe Biden Israel has pledged extensive support to its country after a major offensive by the radical Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas. Over the weekend, Defense Secretary Austin announced that he would send a second aircraft carrier to the eastern Mediterranean to deter further attacks against Israel — including as a signal to Iran. Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday to express his solidarity with the country.

➤ Read more here: US President Joe Biden to visit Israel on Wednesday

Meanwhile, a US-chartered cruise ship arrived in Cyprus on Tuesday with American citizens brought to safety from Israel. The ship “Rhapsody of the Sea”, which was launched from the Israeli port city of Haifa, was carrying 159 evacuees, mostly elderly US citizens, families with children and tourists.