President Biden has asked his national security team to take action to support Israel “in its hour of need.”
At Biden’s direction, the United States has surged ammunition and interceptors for Israel’s air defense system called Iron Dome. The President spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Tuesday about additional capabilities that Israel will need. And he pledged that American planes will be landing in Israel with those capabilities in the days ahead.
The U.S. military has enhanced its force posture in the region to strengthen its deterrence, including the movement of a carrier strike group into the Eastern Mediterranean. “And we are prepared to move additional assets as necessary,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said at a news conference.
He said that at the direction of the President, his team is working with Congress to make sure that Israel maintains supply of these critical assets to defend its cities and its citizens, as well as the many U.S. citizens who live, work, and travel in Israel.
“We moved the carrier to send a clear message of deterrence to other states or non-state actors that might seek to widen this war,” he told reporters.
Sullivan said the U.S. Government is working with the Israeli government and with its regional partners on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying U.S. experts to advise the Israeli government and coordinate with them on hostage recovery efforts.
He said the Biden administration is actively working with Israelis to determine the whereabouts of the missing, including missing American citizens.
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