The US is sending troops to the Middle East in response to increasing violence between Israel and Hezbollah and as the region teeters on the brink of all-out war.
The Pentagon announced Monday that “additional” troops would be deployed, in addition to the 40,000 already stationed in the region.
Israel has stepped up airstrikes in Lebanon and the State Department has warned all Americans to leave as the risk of conflict increases to levels not seen in years.
Tensions have reached boiling point over the past seven days, escalating when Hezbollah members’ pagers and walkie-talkies exploded in a coordinated attack.
Devastating Israeli airstrikes on Monday killed at least 100 people and wounded another 400 in Lebanon, as IDF warplanes pounded targets across the country.
Terrified residents of Beirut and elsewhere received phone calls and text messages warning them to stay away from Hezbollah targets. Lebanon’s information minister condemned the warnings, calling them a tactic of “psychological warfare by the enemy.”
The US is sending troops to the Middle East in response to increased violence between Israel and Hezbollah as the region teeters on the brink of all-out war. Some waves emerge from the Lebanese village of Zaita after an Israeli attack
The Biden administration has warned Israel that escalation is not in its interest and that it still wants a diplomatic solution.
“Given the heightened tensions in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional U.S. troops to bolster our forces already in the region,” spokesman Gen. Pat Ryder said.
Ryder would not confirm how many troops are being deployed or where they are going.
“Due to the unpredictable nature of the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel and the recent explosions throughout Lebanon, including Beirut, the U.S. Embassy urges American citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial options remain available,” the State Department warned Saturday.
More to come
