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So far, more than a thousand Israelis, including children, have been killed in Hamas’s brutal attacks. Thousands of others have been injured and the number of victims increases every day. And people kidnapped by Hamas in the Gaza Strip are still missing. The US is now responding with an unmistakable signal.
‘There should be no doubt about it. The United States stands with Israel,” US President Joe Biden (80) said on Tuesday. He ordered the largest warship in the world, the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford, to be moved to Israel.
“Sailors stand guard in the Eastern Mediterranean,” said a post Tuesday on Gerald R. Ford’s official X account.
The warship is intended to serve as a floating base. It is joined by five other ships, including the cruiser USS Normandy and four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
Biden wants to intimidate enemies
It is not the first time that Biden has flexed his muscles and sent the ‘Gerald R. Ford’ to the sea to intimidate enemy countries. In May the aircraft carrier departed for the Oslofjord in Norway. Biden placed the gigantic colossus practically on the doorstep of Russian President Vladimir Putin (71). Norway borders Russia for approximately 200 kilometers.
The Gerald R. Ford is a nuclear-powered ship that serves as an aircraft carrier. The ship is 333 meters long, making it one of the largest ships in the world. The hull is 41 meters wide. The Gerald R. Ford was completed in 2017 at a cost of $13 billion.
4,500 sailors serve on the ship, which is why it weighs 77 tons per voyage poultry and loads 78,000 chocolate chip cookies. The armament is also impressive: the aircraft carrier has 90 fighter planes and helicopters and also has a number of defense systems and ammunition that the Israeli army can use in case of supply shortages, such as precision bombs and anti-aircraft missiles.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also announced that the ship could be used to evacuate US citizens in Israel. And: Israel should have “the necessary means for self-defense,” Austin made clear. But ground troops will not be sent.
Deterrent for Hezbollah
Biden consulted with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (73) on Tuesday. “We now know that American citizens are also among the hostages held by Hamas,” Biden said after the conversation. But there is another reason why the American president sent Gerald R. Ford out.
Biden is mainly sending a message to terrorist groups in Lebanon and Iran. Because the US wants to prevent Hezbollah from joining Hamas. This could lead to new escalations in northern Israel. The situation threatens to get even worse: On Monday, Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel. In addition, terrorists have crossed the border into Israel from Lebanon. However, Hezbollah denies that these were its people.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
