The United States canceled a planned visit by a carrier strike group to France and will be sending the vessels closer to Israel. The Defense Department is calling the move a show of support for Israel following the massacre of hundreds of civilians by Hamas terrorists this weekend.
The United States is moving the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, which includes the carrier, a cruiser and four destroyers to the region. The Pentagon also announced that it would be deploying additional United States Air Force assets to the region.
After the announcement, a spokesperson for Hamas said that the “movement of the American aircraft carrier does not scare us, and the American administration must realize the consequences of this step.”
The Spokesman for Hamas has stated, “The Movement of the American Aircraft Carrier does not Scare Us, and the American Administration must realise the Consequences of this Step.”
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) October 8, 2023
The movement of American warships came after reports that at least four Americans were killed in the attack. Figures from Sunday indicate that at least 600 people were murdered in the initial wave, with possibly hundreds more being kidnapped.
The State Department is currently working to verify reports of Americans killed or captured by Hamas.
“We’ve got reports that several Americans are among the dead. We’re working very actively to verify those reports,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “At the same time, the reports of Americans being taken hostage — there too, we’re working to get the facts to find out if those reports are accurate.”
The United States has indicated support for Israel after the attack, including a statement from President Joe Biden that asserted Jerusalem’s right to defend itself.
Many lawmakers in Congress have been united in their support for the Jewish state. However, a number of prominent Republicans have criticized the Biden administration for arranging a deal to transfer $6 billion to Iran in exchange for a number of American hostages held by that country.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the chief backers of Hamas and a number of other militant groups in the Middle East, such as Hezbollah.
