US soldiers ordered to prepare for war in Gaza

US military forces in Syria (Photo: AFP).

According to the Intercept news site, a Pentagon memo circulated earlier this month said that a certain number of military personnel have been "placed on standby to deploy to support the military in the event of US ground involvement in the Israel-Hamas war."

The contingency order has been in place for US troops stationed in Iraq since last year, according to a separate Pentagon document obtained by The Intercept.

Since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted last October, the White House has repeatedly stated that US support for Israel will not involve US troops fighting alongside Israeli soldiers.

The US responded to Hamas's October attack on Israel by sending two aircraft carriers to the region and preparing 2,000 additional troops for deployment to the Middle East. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on October 10 that Washington had "no intention of deploying US troops" in Israel or Gaza.

However, US special forces have been operating in Israel since October. Senior official Christopher Maier told reporters at the time that US commandos were "actively assisting Israel in some of its work." The Pentagon also acknowledged that it had deployed surveillance drones in Gaza "to support hostage rescue efforts."

Since the conflict began, US troops in Iraq, Syria and Jordan have been attacked more than 150 times. An attack on a US base in Jordan last weekend killed three US soldiers and wounded dozens more.

US ships and warplanes have also carried out several strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen, aiming to break the Houthi blockade of “Israeli-linked” ships passing through the Red Sea.

The Houthis have responded by targeting US commercial and military ships in the area.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/linh-my-duoc-lenh-chuan-bi-cho-cuoc-chien-o-gaza-20240131220241638.htm