BY EFE MODESTUS
About 2,000 US troops have been chosen to be ready to assist Israel with advising and medical support.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the forces will be pulled from across the U.S. armed services, with the troops currently stationed inside the Middle East and in nearby Europe.
But officials have not said which units were chosen or the location they would deploy to, according to the Journal.
The outlet noted the troops wouldn’t serve in a combat role, and no infantry had been put on prepare-to-deploy order.
It was later reported Monday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Austin has given “be ready to deploy” orders for a select number of American troops.
Deputy Defense press secretary Sabrina Singh declined to confirm the reports to members of the press Monday.
“I don’t have more to provide at this time,” she told reporters at the Pentagon. “I might be able to give you more details later, but at this time, I just don’t have anything more specific to add.”
Israel’s war with Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, has claimed more than 4,000 lives and counting on both sides after Hamas’s bloody surprise assault on Israel on Oct. 7.
The U.S. has continuously expressed support for Israel after the country was attacked, with the Pentagon over the weekend announcing it was sending a second carrier strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean.
The strike group is meant to act as a deterrence amid concerns foreign aggressors could engage in the war and will join the USS Gerald Ford group, which is already there.
ADVERTISEMENTS
