A rapid response force made up of roughly 2,000 U.S. Marines and sailors is being sent to the coast of Israel amid rising tensions in the region, a defense official familiar with the planning told CNN on Monday. The movement of the unit, which specializes in amphibious and crisis operations, as well as humanitarian assistance, is part of an American effort designed to keep the Israel-Palestine conflict from spilling over into other parts of the Middle East, according to the network. It comes hours after it was reported that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had ordered that 2,000 troops prepare for a potential deployment to assist with medical and logistical support in Israel; however, it does not mean that those troops definitively will be deployed. The response force will join a considerable U.S. presence already amassed along the coast, which includes at least two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, a number of Air Force fighter jets, and several warships.
Read it at CNN
