Amid escalating violence a week after Hamas attack on Israel, several countries have come forward to support Israel and provide support to its military in the ground offensive against Gaza.
The Israeli military has said that it has prepared a “coordinated” offensive in the Gaza Strip involving air, ground and naval forces. Israeli forces are readying for a looming Gaza ground invasion aimed at destroying Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that unleashed the bloodiest attack in the country’s history.
The US has meanwhile begun moving warships and aircraft to the region to support Israel in the ongoing war. The US has deployed two carriers, scores of aircraft and special forces to support the Israeli forces against Hamas. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will visit Israel on Friday to meet with Israeli leaders to discuss what else the US can provide.
How is the US Aiding Israel’s military?
The US is providing some personnel and much-needed munitions to Israel including fighter jets, aircraft carriers, missile destroyers and Iron Dome Systems.
“As part of our effort to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas’s attack on Israel, the Strike Group includes the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), guided-missile destroyers USS Gravely (DDG 107) and USS Mason (DDG 87), and Carrier Air Wing 3, with nine aircraft squadrons, and embarked headquarters staffs,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.
The USS Dwight D Eisenhower CSG will join the USS Gerald R Ford Carrier Strike Group, which arrived earlier this week. The Ford CSG includes the USS Normandy, USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and USS Roosevelt.
The Pentagon has also ordered additional warplanes to bolster A-10, F-15 and F-16 squadrons at bases throughout the Middle East.
The US is also getting defence companies to expedite weapons orders by Israel that were already on the books including the Iron Dome air defense system. Iron Dome’s missiles, one of the most advanced weapons systems, target rockets that approach its cities.
Germany
Germany is offering military help to Israel and promising to crack down on support for the militant Hamas group following the attack.
The German Defense Ministry said it has agreed to an Israeli request to use up to two of five Heron TP combat drones that are currently leased by the German military and were already in Israel for the training of German servicepeople. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in Brussels that Israel has requested ammunition for warships, a request that will now be discussed.
Germany has also suspended development aid for the Palestinian areas, though it is keeping up humanitarian help.
UK
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has deployed UK military to the Eastern Mediterranean to support Israel and reinforce regional stability, a statement from the prime minister’s office said on Friday.
The British government will send two Royal Navy ships and surveillance aircraft to the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel.
The maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft was scheduled to fly in the region from Friday to “track threats to regional stability such as the transfer of weapons to terrorist groups”. The military package includes P8 aircraft, two Royal Navy ships -– the RFA Lyme Bay and RFA Argus –- three merlin helicopters and a company of Royal Marines, the statement added.
French Reservists Join Israeli Attack
Many Israeli-French reservists in France have gone back to Tel Aviv to join Israel army to join the fighting against Hamas.
France’s Jewish population is estimated at over 500,000 and is the largest in Europe and the third-biggest in the world, after Israel and the United States.
Fighting Continues
In the eight days since Hamas gunmen killed more than 1,300 Israelis in their surprise onslaught, Israel has responded with a devastating bombing campaign that has claimed over 2,300 lives in Gaza.
Entire Gaza city blocks lie in ruins and hospitals are overflowing with thousands of wounded in the besieged territory, but there were fears of worse to come. Israel has warned 1.1 million Palestinian civilians to leave northern Gaza and a steady stream of families in overloaded cars, trucks and donkey carts have since headed south.
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