US to withdraw aircraft carriers near Israel

The aircraft carrier Gerald Ford will be withdrawn from the eastern Mediterranean, after being sent there to deter pro-Hamas forces involved in the Gaza war.

The Gerald Ford aircraft carrier strike group will return to Norfolk, Virginia, "in the next few days" as originally scheduled to prepare for further deployments, ABC News on January 1 quoted two anonymous US officials as saying.

The Gerald Ford, America’s most advanced aircraft carrier, was diverted to the eastern Mediterranean after Hamas launched a coordinated attack on Israeli territory on October 7. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the time that the move was aimed at deterring Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran, preventing these Hamas allies from escalating the conflict.

Secretary Austin last month extended the deployment of the Gerald Ford in the Mediterranean, amid rising tensions in the region.

The unnamed US official stressed that the withdrawal of the Gerald Ford was planned in advance, adding that the US still has many forces in the region and can deploy more destroyers and cruisers to the Mediterranean and the Middle East if necessary.

USS Gerald R. Ford transits the Strait of Gibraltar to enter the Mediterranean on June 15. Photo: X/Maritimegraphy — USS Gerald Ford passes through the Strait of Gibraltar to enter the Mediterranean on June 15. Photo: *X/Maritimegraphy*

The US Department of Defense declined to comment on the information. "We have nothing to announce," the agency said.

In addition to the USS Gerald Ford, the US has another aircraft carrier strike group in the Middle East, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. This group was originally ordered to deploy to the Mediterranean, but was diverted to the Persian Gulf to deter Iran after the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out.

The ship is currently operating in the Gulf of Aden in southern Yemen, an area that has recently been tense as the Houthis, another Hamas ally, have repeatedly attacked cargo ships in the Red Sea with missiles and drones. The Houthis say this is a move to pressure Israel to end its campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Several destroyers from the Gerald Ford and Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier strike groups are deployed to deter Houthi attacks and protect shipping in the Red Sea. On December 31, helicopters from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Gravely sank three Houthi boats as they attempted to board the Maersk Hangzhou container ship in the Red Sea.

An MH-60R helicopter takes off from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Atlantic Ocean in September 2019. Photo: US Navy — An MH-60R helicopter takes off from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Atlantic Ocean in September 2019. Photo: *US Navy*

All the gunmen on these boats were killed, while another boat managed to escape.

The USS Gerald Ford is the world's largest aircraft carrier, measuring 337 metres in length and capable of carrying 75 aircraft, while the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is 332 metres long and can carry 60 aircraft. The US regularly deploys aircraft carriers to strategically important areas to demonstrate its power at sea and protect the interests of the country or its allies.