By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON (AA) - The US is "surging support" to Israel, including additional air defense weapons and munitions, a senior Defense Department official said Monday as conflict continues to escalate in Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories and beyond.
The official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said the Biden administration remains in ongoing contact with Israel "to determine and then support their most urgent requirements."
"We are working as fast as possible to provide critically needed munitions of various types, and other equipment. We're also contacting US industry to gain expedited shipment of pending Israeli orders for military equipment that otherwise may have been considered routine," the official said.
The US has so far met every request made by Israel, and "planes have already taken off" with supplies, the official said.
The comments come one day after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the US would be sending the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier strike group, which includes an embarked air wing guided missile cruisers and destroyer warships, to the eastern Mediterranean in a display of force intended to bolster Israel.
The defense official said the US is "making very clear to adversaries, or those that might be entertaining entering this conflict to escalate it, that they should think twice and not take advantage of the instability."
"These posture increases are intended to serve as an unequivocal demonstration in deed, and not only in words, of US support for Israel's defense, and serve as a deterrent signal to Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and any other proxy across the region who might be considering exploiting the current situation to escalate conflict," the official said.
Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel early Saturday, firing a barrage of rockets and infiltrating Israel by land, air and sea. It said the surprise attack was in response to the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, and increased settler violence against Palestinians.
At least 900 Israelis have been killed since Saturday, and over 2,616 have been wounded, including 380 who are in critical condition, according to the Israeli Health Ministry.
In a related development, the Israeli army revealed the names of 12 military personnel who were recently killed in the conflict with Palestinian gunmen, pushing the death toll of Israeli forces to 85, according to the Israeli daily Maariv.
In retaliation, the Israeli military launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 560 Palestinians and wounding at least 2,900 others. Israel has also said it will completely halt all supplies of electricity, food and fuel to Gaza, which is home to over 2 million people, about half of whom are children.
The Interior Ministry in Gaza said the Israeli military has "intensified its aggression" on Gaza with hundreds of raids. The Israeli army said it had struck over 500 targets in overnight raids on Gaza, which they claimed were targets belonging to the Hamas and Islamic Jihad.