U.S. Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, has ordered an expedited deployment of a guided missile submarine and an aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East, in light of escalating regional tensions.
What Happened: Austin has directed a guided missile submarine and the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to hasten their journey to the Middle East, AP News reported on Monday. This move comes amid efforts by the U.S. and its allies to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, following the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut.
The U.S. is increasing its military presence in the region in anticipation of potential retaliatory strikes from Iran and Hezbollah. Austin has communicated with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, reiterating America’s commitment to Israel’s defense and highlighting the strengthening of U.S. military capabilities in the Middle East.
The USS Abraham Lincoln, previously positioned in the Asia Pacific, was already on its way to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group. The specific implications of Austin’s latest directive and the timeline for Lincoln’s arrival in the Middle East are yet to be clarified.
Austin and Gallant also discussed Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the need to minimize civilian casualties. This discussion followed a devastating Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza, which had been converted into a shelter, resulting in at least 80 deaths and nearly 50 injuries.
Why It Matters: The development comes amid ongoing discussions of a ceasefire deal. Recently, Hamas said that it wants to go back to the original framework outlined by U.S. President Joe Biden on May 31, aimed to end the conflict and was agreed upon by Israel.
However, ongoing negotiations in June and July were disrupted by continued Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. Hamas stated that negotiations for a ceasefire would not be successful in the face of Israeli aggression, which was demonstrated when a school in Gaza City was bombed, resulting in the deaths of at least 100 Palestinians, Reuters reported.
This is the framework the Israelis said they had agreed to, which was brought forth by the Americans. It was a three-part plan that would ultimately see an end to the war in the third phase.
Now, there were negotiations that were ongoing in June and July, but they were derailed and constantly failing due to continued Israeli bombardment in Gaza.
Hamas at the time had released several statements saying that continued Israeli aggression was not going to work if they were going to negotiate a ceasefire, and we saw this just the other day when a school in Gaza City was struck, killing at least 100 Palestinians.
The Middle East has been experiencing heightened tensions, with significant diplomatic efforts underway to prevent a broader regional conflict. Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah have pledged to retaliate against Israel following the assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran.
The development also comes amid Hezbollah claiming responsibility for launching 30 rockets towards northern Israel.
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari
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