Germany has kept 1,000 members of its Army on alert for a possible deployment to the Middle East in case of emergency, given the prevailing tension in the region as a result of the war between Hamas and Israel. Military sources confirmed that most of the contingents are now in Cyprus, ready for “immediate deployment.”
Last weekend, the German Ministry of Defense advanced its intention to increase “response capacity” in the region with a view to possible evacuation maneuvers. Along with the regular deployment in Cyprus is a unit of the elite diving force, the KSM, and another special forces team from the KSK unit is already in Jordan to act as a liaison, if needed.
The US is also preparing a heavy military deployment in the Middle East
Germany is not the only one preparing to deploy if needed. The United States is also thinking about it. “We will make sure that Israel has everything it needs to defend itself.” These are the words of the president of the United States, Joe Biden, who clarified his country’s position on the conflict between Israel and Gaza on October 10, just three days after Hamas launched its offensive on Israeli territory. In other words, the United States will guarantee that the Jewish state “will be able to defend itself today and tomorrow, as we have always done.”
“We will make sure that Israel has everything it needs to protect its citizens and itself to respond to this attack. There is no justification for terrorism. There is no excuse. Hamas does not defend the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination. Their stated goal for the State of Israel is to kill Jews. “They are using Palestinian civilians as human shields,” said the US president.
The United States is afraid that its troops deployed in the Middle East will be the target of militant groups, so it is now trying to strengthen their positions at certain points. “We are preparing for this development in terms of defending our forces and decisively responding,” the Pentagon spokesman said. “Between October 17 and 24, US forces were attacked at least ten different times in Iraq and three different times in Syria,” said Washington.
How was the United States strengthened? First, it has sent several planes to its bases in the Middle East and sent other planes to Israel loaded with weapons such as bombs, bullets, and missiles, according to 20 Minutes. The Pentagon has assured that there are more shipments to be sent to Israel, such as JDAM kits, that is, a “smart” bomb that can be guided to a specific target.
Currently, there is an American aircraft carrier (‘USS Gerald R. Ford’) near Israel. The second was headed for the same position (‘USS Dwight D. Eisenhower’), with three Marine Corps warships. In addition, the Pentagon announced the deployment of the amphibious group ‘USS Bataan’, consisting of three ships with thousands of Marines from the 26th Expeditionary Unit. Finally, aircraft carriers carry F-18 fighters that can be deployed in the region, as well as E-2 Hawkeye surveillance aircraft, helicopters, and assault craft.
