US sends more troops amid Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon
Meanwhile, the IDF is preparing for the "next phase" of its military campaign against Hezbollah.
The US is deploying a “small number” of additional troops to the Middle East after Israel launched a large-scale military operation against Lebanon, described as the deadliest since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.
Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder announced the move on September 23 (local time) but declined to provide further details on the number or mission of the US military.
“Given the heightened tensions in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we will be sending a small number of additional US military personnel to augment our forces already in the region,” Ryder said. “But for operational security reasons, I will not comment or provide further details.”
Currently, the United States has about 40,000 troops stationed in the Middle East, along with several Navy warships and aircraft carriers, including the USS Harry S. Truman and USS Abraham Lincoln. These assets are strategically placed in various locations to better respond to any potential attacks on both Israel and US interests in the region.
Months of tensions between Israel and Hezbollah escalated last week when thousands of pagers and other communications devices used by Hezbollah simultaneously exploded, killing at least 37 people and injuring about 3,000, including children. On September 20, Israeli jets bombed Beirut, killing Ibrahim Aqil, a senior Hezbollah commander. Hezbollah retaliated by launching dozens of missiles into Israel and on September 22 declared “a never-ending battle of reckoning.”
On September 23, Israel launched a large-scale military operation against Hezbollah, dubbed "Northern Arrow", in which the IDF claimed to have struck "some 1,600 Hezbollah terrorist targets" in a series of attacks in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.
"We are hitting targets and preparing for the next stages, which I will detail shortly. Basically, we are targeting the combat infrastructure that Hezbollah has built over the past 20 years. This is very important," Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said earlier this week.
According to the latest figures from the Lebanese Health Ministry, by the end of the day, Israeli airstrikes had killed at least 492 people - including 35 children and 58 women - and injured 1,645.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had several calls with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, over the weekend, while the US Embassy in Lebanon warned American citizens to leave the country.
Meanwhile, an unnamed senior US State Department official told multiple media outlets on September 23 that the US is seeking a political “way out” for both Israel and Hezbollah to reduce tensions and prevent a full-scale war. The US is expected to discuss its “concrete ideas” for restoring peace with its allies and partners on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly.
