US troops head to region as fears grow of war’s spread
Troop reinforcements from Israel’s ally the United States headed to the region on Saturday, with fears of wider war growing more than six months into Israel’s battle against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. After pulling forces from the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis one week ago, Israel’s military said on Saturday it was continuing to operate against groups in central Gaza.
In central Gaza’s main city of Deir al-balah, fire burned in the rubble of a destroyed mosque.
Israel’s military “demanded that the whole area be evacuated” before it was “wiped out in minutes”, said Abdullah Baraka, a witness.
The military said it had struck targets across the Palestinian territory over the previous day.
Tensions have also flared in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where settler attacks left at least one Palestinian dead and dozens injured. The region braced for the retaliation after a consular strike whose victims included two generals.
“We are moving additional assets to the region to bolster regional deterrence efforts and increase force protection for US forces,” said a US defence official in Washington.
The United States already has tens of thousands of troops in the Middle East and provides billions of dollars worth of military assistance to Israel.
October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people in Israel, according to Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,634 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry there. US President Joe Biden sent the head of US Central Command, General Michael Kurilla, to Israel for talks.
In their October attack, Palestinian groups seized about 250 hostages, 129 of whom Israel says remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli army says are dead.