WASHINGTON: The United States assesses there is still a significant threat of a new attack on Israel by Iran or its regional allies, the Pentagon said Monday, after Lebanon’s Hezbollah launched a rocket and drone barrage over the weekend, escalating tensions in the region.
Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder told journalists that the threat remains real, stating, “We continue to assess that there is a threat of attack, and we remain well-postured to be able to support Israel’s defense as well as to protect our forces should they be attacked.”
The heightened concern follows threats from Iran and its allies to retaliate against Israel after high-profile killings in Tehran and Beirut in late July. Hezbollah has directly linked its latest strikes on Israel to these assassinations, specifically citing the killing of senior commander Fuad Shukr.
Over the weekend, the Israeli military responded to Hezbollah’s attacks by launching airstrikes on Hezbollah targets deemed to pose an imminent threat. According to Israeli reports, around 100 fighter jets struck more than 270 targets, primarily short-range rocket launchers aimed at northern Israel.
In retaliation, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah claimed responsibility for firing over 300 Katyusha rockets at 11 Israeli military sites. He also confirmed the deployment of drones targeting deeper areas within Israel.
Although the United States was not directly involved in the Israeli airstrikes or the interception of Hezbollah’s projectiles, General Ryder said that the US provided “intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance support — ISR — in terms of tracking incoming Lebanese Hezbollah attacks.”
Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered two US Navy carrier strike groups to remain in the region. Last week, the Pentagon announced that the USS Abraham Lincoln, along with its accompanying destroyers, had arrived in the Middle East. Initially intended to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Austin’s directive now keeps both carrier strike groups in the region indefinitely.
On Sunday, a US defense official said that the US had helped track the barrage of rockets and drones launched by Hezbollah against Israel, but was not involved in strikes in Lebanon or in shooting down incoming projectiles.
Meanwhile, General Charles “CQ” Brown, the United States (US) Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the highest-ranking military officer in the United States, is set to visit Beirut with a message for Lebanese officials, according to media reports.
The specifics of the message have not been disclosed, but it pertains to regional developments. It is noted that the visit had been scheduled prior to the attack on Israel by Hezbollah that occurred on Sunday morning, as reported by al-Liwaa newspaper.
Before heading to Beirut, General Brown visited Cairo on Sunday for discussions with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and subsequently traveled to Israel for meetings there.
The trip is part of the US efforts to prevent further escalation in the region.
On Monday, Israel issued new evacuation orders for the central Gaza Strip area of Deir Al-Balah, compelling thousands of Palestinian families to flee their homes amid fears of intense Israeli airstrikes and a ground operation.
The evacuation orders are part of a broader pattern of Israeli directives that have forced large-scale displacement across Gaza. According to local officials, these orders have displaced approximately 250,000 people in Deir Al-Balah alone.
This is part of the largest evacuation effort since the beginning of the Israeli bombardment ten months ago, raising significant concerns among Palestinians, the United Nations, and humanitarian organizations about the reduction of safe zones and the dire lack of humanitarian relief areas.
Israeli military strikes resulted in the deaths of at least seven Palestinians, with casualties reported in various locations including Deir Al-Balah, a school in the Al-Nuseirat camp, and the southern city of Rafah near the Egyptian border. The escalation has intensified the humanitarian crisis in the region, where infrastructure and medical facilities are already overwhelmed.
The new evacuation orders have forced many patients and residents to leave Al-Aqsa Hospital, the main medical facility in Deir Al-Balah. The hospital, which has been a crucial refuge for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians, is now under severe threat from the nearby bombardments.
Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported an explosion about 250 meters from the hospital, causing panic among the patients and staff. MSF stated it is considering suspending wound care due to the escalating danger, though it is striving to maintain life-saving treatment for the remaining patients.
Currently, only 100 out of approximately 650 patients remain at the hospital, with seven in the intensive care unit, according to Gaza’s health ministry. MSF has asked Israel to respect the hospital’s safety and ensure continued access to medical care.
The escalation in violence comes after failed truce talks in Cairo. Israeli airstrikes and shelling have continued throughout Gaza City and other areas, with recent reports indicating that a strike on a Gaza City house in the Al-Rimal neighborhood resulted in at least five deaths.
Despite ongoing international efforts to broker a ceasefire, including “constructive” talks described by a senior US official, Hamas has rejected the new conditions proposed by Israel. Hamas’s official Osama Hamdan criticized the US statements on the ceasefire as false and politically motivated.
Since October 7 last year, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza killing at least 40,405 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Meanwhile, Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are facing extreme shortages of food, medicine, and basic necessities. The war has brought widespread devastation to the densely populated enclave.
