US Marines' assault ship sailing toward Israel over fears of regional conflict developing
By Alex Oliveira
A US Marines assault ship is reportedly rushing to the eastern Mediterranean, as fears grow that the war between Israel and Hamas could explode into a regional conflict.
The USS Bataan, carrying the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, began making its way toward the Suez Canal late last week after being stationed off the Middle East, a pair of military officials told CNN.
At least two US aircraft carriers and their supporting warships are already stationed in the eastern Mediterranean in response to Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel, which left at least 1,400 civilians dead.
The USS Bataan is still sailing through the Red Sea, but is expected to arrive off the coast of Israel any day now, the sources said.
The USS Bataan is currently sailing toward Israel over fears the war with Hamas could explode into a wider conflict.AP
In addition to mounting amphibious assaults, Marine Expeditionary Units are sometimes used to conduct civilian evacuations.
Last week, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said “prudent contingency planning” was underway to prepare for the possibility of evacuating Americans from the region.
“It would be imprudent and irresponsible if we didn’t have folks thinking through a broad range of contingencies and possibilities,” Kirby said, adding there were no “active efforts” to evacuate Americans en-masse at the time.
Those comments came shortly after Israeli officials reportedly agreed to delay their ground invasion of Gaza in response to pleas from President Biden to allow more time for hostages to be released.
The USS Bataan carries the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.REUTERS
Israel's full ground assault has not yet been launched, but armored columns of troops were seen entering the Gaza Strip over the weekend to continue softening Hamas' defenses in preparation for the operation.
US officials have cautioned that the conflict in Israel could expand if Hezbollah, Lebanon's Iranian-backed Islamist political, throws its weight behind Hamas.
With Post wires
