About 2,000 US forces have been told to prepare for a possible deployment to the Middle East in support of Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists.
The notification does not mean those forces will definitely be sent to the troubled region, only that they should be prepared to leave on short notice if their presence is deemed necessary.
It was not immediately clear what circumstances would necessitate the deployment.
A Pentagon official told The Post the prepare-to-deploy order had been sent out, but declined to confirm the number of forces affected, which was reported by the Wall Street Journal.
No infantry troops are among those affected by the potential mission and the forces would be assigned roles like advising the Israeli military and providing medical support rather than taking part in any combat.
The selected forces are from across the branches of the US armed services and are currently stationed both inside and outside the Middle East, including in Europe, according to the Journal.
President Biden reiterated on Sunday that the US will show “unwavering” support for the Jewish state as it prepares for a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip in a bid to rescue scores of hostages and root out the jihadist group following its Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that claimed more than 1,300 lives — including 30 Americans.
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“This weekend, I connected again with Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu to reiterate unwavering U.S. support for Israel, and to provide an update on our military support and efforts to protect civilians,” Biden, 80, tweeted on Sunday.
“It’s time all countries unequivocally condemned Hamas as a terrorist organization that does not represent the aspirations of the Palestinian people.”
Hamas is holding some 200 hostages, with about 50 more kidnapping victims held by other “resistance factions and in other places,” the terrorist group’s spokesman said in a statement Monday. The Israel Defense Forces have also said the number of presumed hostages is at least 199.
The president and administration officials have noted on several occasions that the US does not plan to put troops on the ground in Israel.
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“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Biden told CBS’ “60 Minutes” in an interview that aired Sunday night when asked about deploying American forces to support the IDF. “Israel has one of the finest fighting forces in the country.”
“There is no intention to put US boots on the ground,” White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters last week.
“If we need — and it’s an if — but if we need to go back to Capitol Hill for additional funding support for Israel, we will absolutely do that,” Kirby added.
The first shipment of US weapons arrived in Israel last week, according to the IDF, which included a plane load of “advanced ammunition” that will allow for “significant blows and preparation for additional scenarios” against Hamas, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said.
The US has also sent two aircraft carrier strike groups – the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group and the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group – to the eastern Mediterranean Sea in an effort to deter attacks on Israel from hostile actors like Iran.
