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United States defense officials confirmed on Monday that the U.S. military selected around 2,000 troops in preparation to deploy to Israel for support, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The selected military, which are from across the U.S. armed services, will be there strictly for “advising and medical support” only. According to the Wall Street Journal, none of the military sent will serve in combat, and no infantry have been placed on “prepare-to-deploy order.”
Since the terrorist attack on Israel, the White House has vocalized their support for the Israeli nation. Biden spoke to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “reiterate unwavering U.S. support for Israel.”
In addition to vocal support, the U.S. is “flowing” military supplies to Israel, according to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, providing the country with ammunition and interceptors for the Iron Dome missile defense system.
“We’re surging additional military assistance, including ammunition, and interceptors to replenish Iron Dome. We are going to make sure that Israel does not run out of these critical assets to defend its cities and its citizens,” Biden stated last week.
While there were reports regarding the preparation of putting special forces on alert, the Defense Department made it clear last week during a background briefing that the U.S. has “no intention of putting U.S. forces on the ground.”
“We have no intention of putting U.S. forces on the ground at this time, but we are providing advice, and we will continue to consult with our Israeli partners about their security assistance needs,” a senior defense official stated.
Similarly, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters last week that the Israeli government has made it “very clear” that they “don’t want foreign troops on their soil.”
“Now, the Israelis have made it very clear that they don’t want foreign troops on their soil – that they want to prosecute these operations on their own,” Kirby stated at a briefing. “And so, no, there are no intentions, no plans to put American troops on the ground in combat.”
