In response to the Hamas’ escalation, Defense Secretary Austin orders U.S. carrier group to the region.
The relative calm around the Yom Kippur holiday in Israel was shattered Saturday morning when Hamas militants from Gaza invaded Israel, brutally killing civilians and soldiers and taking other civilians as hostages back into the tunnels of Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed his nation on Saturday. “Citizens of Israel, we are at war. Not an operation, not a round [of fighting,] at war! This morning, Hamas initiated a murderous surprise attack against the state of Israel and its citizens.”
In a call with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Joe Biden reassured him that the U.S. stands with Israel, later telling the people of the U.S., “We will not ever fail to have their backs.”
Israel has begun its “Operation Swords of Iron” in response, laying a “complete siege” of Gaza, allowing no fuel, electricity, water, or food supplies into the region and sealing the border.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced he had ordered an aircraft carrier group to move into the eastern Mediterranean “to bolster regional deterrence efforts.”
The U.S. National Security Council confirmed eleven Americans are dead at the hands of Hamas, and an untold number are among hostages they have taken.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).
- For wisdom for President Biden and his advisers as they keep watch over the situation.
- For the release of the hostages.
- For God to be at work in the hearts and minds of our nation’s officials as they evaluate the next steps in the U.S. response to the war.
Sources: Times of Israel, CBS News, Washington Post, CNN, Reuters
