US military to move a carrier strike group in support of Israel

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 4:20 p.m. EST with additional information.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Sunday he has ordered the Ford carrier strike group to sail to the Eastern Mediterranean to be ready to assist Israel after the surprise attack by Hamas that has left more than 1,000 dead and thousands wounded on both sides. Americans were reported to be among those killed and missing.

The USS Gerald R. Ford the Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier , and its approximately 5,000 sailors and deck of warplanes will be accompanied by cruisers and destroyers in a show of force that is meant to be ready to respond to anything, from possibly interdicting additional weapons from reaching Hamas and conducting surveillance.

The large deployment, which also includes a host of ships and warplanes, underscores the concern that the United States has in trying to deter the conflict from growing. The Israeli government formally declared war Sunday and gave the green light for “significant military steps” to retaliate against Hamas.

A Palestinian inspects the rubble of a high rise building destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City early Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (Adel Hana/AP)

Preliminary reports indicate that at least four American citizens were killed in the attacks and an additional seven were missing and unaccounted for, according to a U.S. official. The numbers were in flux and could change as a fuller accounting is compiled., according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss initial reports received by the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. Most, if not all, of those reported dead or missing are dual U.S.-Israeli citizens, the official said.

Along with the Ford the U.S. is sending the cruiser USS Normandy, destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and USS Roosevelt and the U.S. is augmenting Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region.

“The U.S. maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture if required,” Austin said in a statement.

In addition, the Biden administration “will be rapidly providing the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions. The first security assistance will begin moving today and arriving in the coming days,” Austin said.

The Norfolk, Virginia-based carrier strike group( was already in the Mediterranean. Last week it was conducting naval exercises with Italy in the Ionian Sea. The carrier is in its first full deployment.

President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a telephone call Sunday, discussed “the taking of hostages by Hamas terrorists, including entire families, the elderly, and young children,” according to a White House statement describing their conversation. Biden stressed that all countries “must stand united in the face of such brutal atrocities.”

The president updated Netanyahu on U.S. diplomatic efforts and said additional assistance for Israeli forces was on the way, with more to come in the days ahead, the White House said.

They also discussed ways “to ensure that no enemies of Israel believe they can or should seek advantage from the current situation.”

On Capitol Hill, the House is preparing a bipartisan resolution that says it “stands with Israel” and condemns “Hamas’ brutal war.”

The resolution from the leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is expected to be among the first items considered for voting once the House elects a new speaker.

“Now is the time to show the world the United States firmly stands with our friend and ally Israel in our condemnation of this heinous attack by Iran-backed terrorists,” said the committee chairman, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas.

House business is currently at a standstill in after the historic ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

Majority Republicans plan to kick off the selection process, in private, at a Tuesday evening forum where candidates can address their colleagues. The real contest could come as soon as Wednesday when the House next convenes.

AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee and AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

Tara Copp is a Pentagon correspondent for the Associated Press. She was previously Pentagon bureau chief for Sightline Media Group.

编者按：本文已于美国东部时间下午 4:20 更新，添加了更多信息。

美国国防部长劳埃德·奥斯汀周日表示，他已命令“福特”号航母打击群驶往东地中海，随时准备协助以色列应对哈马斯发动的突袭。此次袭击已造成双方超过1000人死亡，数千人受伤。据报道，死者和失踪者中包括美国人。

美国海军最新、最先进的航空母舰“杰拉尔德·R·福特”号及其约5000名水兵和甲板上的战机，将与巡洋舰和驱逐舰一同亮相，以展示武力，旨在随时应对任何情况，包括拦截哈马斯运送的更多武器以及进行监视。

此次大规模部署，包括大量舰艇和战机，凸显了美国试图阻止冲突升级的决心。以色列政府于周日正式对哈马斯宣战，并批准采取“重大军事行动”进行报复。

2023年10月8日星期日清晨，一名巴勒斯坦人在加沙城查看被以色列空袭摧毁的高层建筑废墟。（Adel Hana/AP）

据一位美国官员透露，初步报告显示，至少有四名美国公民在袭击中丧生，另有七人失踪。这位官员表示，由于伤亡人数仍在统计中，最终数字可能会有所变化。该官员要求匿名，以便讨论美国驻耶路撒冷大使馆收到的初步报告。他还表示，即使不是全部，大多数遇难者或失踪者也拥有美国和以色列双重国籍。

除了福特号航母外，美国还派遣了诺曼底号巡洋舰、托马斯·胡德纳号驱逐舰、拉马奇号驱逐舰、卡尼号驱逐舰和罗斯福号驱逐舰，并且美国还向该地区增派了空军的F-35、F-15、F-16和A-10战斗机中队。

奥斯汀在一份声明中表示：“美国在全球范围内保持着随时待命的部队，以便在必要时进一步加强这种威慑态势。”

此外，奥斯汀表示，拜登政府“将迅速向以色列国防军提供更多装备和资源，包括弹药。首批安全援助物资将于今日开始调运，并在未来几天内抵达。”

驻扎在弗吉尼亚州诺福克的这支航母打击群此前已在地中海。上周，它与意大利在爱奥尼亚海举行了联合海上演习。这艘航母正处于首次全面部署状态。

据白宫发布的一份声明称，美国总统乔·拜登和以色列总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡周日通电话，讨论了“哈马斯恐怖分子劫持人质的问题，其中包括整个家庭、老人和儿童”。拜登强调，所有国家“必须团结一致，共同面对这种残暴的暴行”。

白宫表示，总统向内塔尼亚胡通报了美国的外交努力，并表示将向以色列军队提供更多援助，未来几天还将有更多援助到位。

他们还讨论了如何“确保以色列的任何敌人都不会认为他们可以或应该从当前局势中谋取利益”。

在国会山，众议院正在准备一项两党决议，表示“与以色列站在一起”，并谴责“哈马斯的残酷战争”。

众议院外交事务委员会领导人提出的这项决议预计将成为众议院选出新议长后首批审议表决的议题之一。

“现在是时候向世界表明，美国坚定地与我们的朋友和盟友以色列站在一起，谴责伊朗支持的恐怖分子发动的这起令人发指的袭击，”委员会主席、德克萨斯州共和党众议员迈克尔·麦考尔说。

在众议院议长凯文·麦卡锡（Kevin McCarthy，加州共和党人）被历史性地罢免后，众议院的事务目前处于停滞状态。

共和党占多数的众议院计划于周二晚间举行一场闭门论坛，正式启动遴选程序，届时候选人可以向同僚们发表演讲。真正的角逐最早可能在周三众议院下次开会时展开。

美联社外交记者马修·李和美联社国会记者丽莎·马斯卡罗对本报道亦有贡献。

塔拉·科普是美联社驻五角大楼记者。她此前曾担任Sightline媒体集团驻五角大楼分社社长。