THE US has directed two warship strike groups armed with fighter jets and missiles to Israel as the war-torn country readies 360,000 troops to invade Gaza.
It comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to crush and destroy Hamas with the support of a new war cabinet.
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As Hamas started unleashing horrific attacks in Israel on Saturday, the US quickly began directing warships and aircraft towards the embattled region.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, and its accompanying ships have arrived – with the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower expected to depart from Virginia on Friday.
Special operations forces are also assisting Israel’s military in planning and intelligence as they look to bring an end to Hamas’ terror in the country.
Ships and warplanes being deployed will establish a force presence that deters Hezbollah, Iran or others from taking advantage of the situation amid fears the region could be on the brink of an all-out war
The US is also expediting the shipment of munitions and interceptors for Israel’s fight against Hamas.
Army Gen. Erik Kurilla, of US Central Command which is responsible for US military operations in the Middle East, said: “The arrival of these highly capable forces to the region is a strong signal of deterrence should any actor hostile to Israel consider trying to take advantage of this situation.”
The Ford had just completed an exercise with the Italian Navy when the ship and its crew of about 5,000 were ordered to quickly sail to the Eastern Mediterranean.
It can launch and recover E2-Hawkeye surveillance planes, recognised by its 24-foot disc-shaped radar.
The planes provide early warnings on missile launches, conduct surveillance and manage the airspace, detecting not only enemy aircraft but also directing US movements.
It also carries F-18 fighter jets that could fly intercepts or strike targets and includes an onboard hospital with an ICU and emergency room and about 40 medics, surgeons and doctors.
It comes as…
The war, which was ignited by a bloody and wide-ranging Hamas attack into Israel, has already claimed at least 2,400 lives on both sides.
And as the battle rages into its sixth day, Israel is preparing to flood soldiers into Haza for a full-scale invasion.
Netanyahu on Wednesday said Hamas had beheaded soldiers, raped women, shot children in the head and burned people alive during their horror attacks on Israel.
He raged: “Every member of Hamas is a dead man”.
Soldiers discovered scenes of indescribable horror in Kfar Aza – a village near the Gaza border that was ravaged by Hamas militants.
Among the dead are four Brits – with a further 13 missing.
Palestinians in Gaza spent Wednesday night in pitch darkness, surrounded by the ruins of pulverized neighbourhoods.
The Israeli military said overnight strikes targeted Hamas’ elite Nukhba forces, including command centers used by the fighters who attacked Israel on Saturday.
The home of a senior Hamas naval operative the military said was used to store unspecified weapons was also blasted.
Israel halted fuel, food and medicine entering the blockaded territory after Hamas terrorists stormed across the border and killed hundreds in a bloody massacre.
On Tuesday, Gaza’s only power station ran out of fuel and shut down, leaving only lights powered by scattered private generators.
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