Americas

The US military has acknowledged carrying out “unarmed” drone flights over the Gaza Strip, saying the UAVs were deployed to help locate hostages taken by Hamas.

US President Joe Biden and his top aides have discussed the likelihood that Benjamin Netanyahu’s political days are numbered — and the US president has conveyed that sentiment to the Israeli prime minister in a recent conversation, according to Politico.

American soldiers will not be deployed to the Gaza Strip during or after the current conflict with Israel, the White House has announced, dismissing reports suggesting US forces could be sent on a peacekeeping mission.

If the US stops funding Ukraine, Russia will win the ongoing conflict between the two countries, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the US Senate Appropriations Committee, making the case for $44 billion more in military and other aid to the government in Kiev.

Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder says there have been 27 attacks against US troops in Iraq and Syria in October, blaming the strikes on bases housing US forces in the Middle East on Iran-backed proxies. Tehran Denies directing armed groups in such attacks but has warned Israel's crimes against the people of Gaza and US support for Tel Aviv could “ricochet far-reaching consequences".

Russian President Vladimir Putin has blasted the West for the crisis in the Middle East, where Israel is bombing the Gaza Strip. He stated that the "ruling elites of the US" and their "satellites" stood behind the killing of Palestinians in the besieged enclave, and behind conflicts in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

Washington is working to send a “strong” message of deterrence to Tehran as concerns of a wider regional conflict escalate, the White House  announced Monday. Iran Denies directing armed groups that strike the US bases in Iraq and Syria, but warns Israel's crimes against the people of Gaza and US support for Tel Aviv could “ricochet far-reaching consequences".

US Vice President Kamala Harris has said in an interview that the United States has “absolutely no intention” of sending American combat troops into Israel or Gaza amid fears over a wider regional conflict.

A US Marine rapid response force is moving toward the eastern Mediterranean Sea, according to two officials — amid concerns over the war in Gaza broadening into a regional conflict.

The US sees an "elevated risk" of a spillover conflict in the Middle East as armed groups continue targeting American troops stationed in the region. Iran denies being behind the strikes.

US forces have been attacked 20 times throughout Iraq and Syria since October 17, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder has confirmed in a statement.

The US military will deploy 900 soldiers to the Middle East to bolster its “force protection capabilities”, American officials have confirmed. The personnel will operate new air defense batteries sent to the region amid a string of attacks on US forces in Syria and Iraq.

US President Joe Biden warned Tehran on Wednesday that the United States would respond if Iran or "its allied proxies" attacked American service members stationed in the Middle East. Tehran has denied any involvement in the recent attacks on American bases in Iraq and Syria.

The U.S. House approved a resolution backing Israel and condemning Hamas on Wednesday, the first piece of legislation to clear the lower chamber in more than three weeks because of the extended Speaker stalemate.

The Pentagon has sent military advisers, including a Marine Corps general versed in urban warfare, to Israel to aid in its planning for the war in Gaza, a US official told the Associated Press (AP) news agency.

The war between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas has reportedly created a potential opportunity for US weapons manufacturers to make missiles for the Iron Dome defense system.

The CIA has spent “tens of millions” of dollars on transforming Kiev’s Soviet-style spy services into “potent allies against Moscow”, The Washington Post has reported, citing multiple sources in the US and Ukrainian intelligence communities.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has warned that American soldiers in the Middle East face increased risk of being attacked as Iran and its allies in the region look to exploit the turmoil created by the Israel-Hamas war. The Pentagon chief has vowed to respond to attacks by Tehran and its allies. Iranian officials say Tehran was not involved in the recent Hamas attack on Israel but warn the Zionist regime's crimes against the people of Gaza could “ricochet far-reaching consequences".

The US government has pressed Israel to delay its imminent land invasion of the Gaza Strip to allow for the release of more Hamas hostages and aid into the besieged enclave, according to two sources briefed on the discussions.

The United States and Israel are mulling the creation of an interim administration in the Gaza Strip that would be backed by the United Nations and Arab governments, Bloomberg reported on Saturday, citing sources.

US President Joe Biden and his aides advised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to launch pre-emptive strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, a move that could risk widening the current unrest to another front, the New York Times daily has reported.

The US government and some European allies are pushing Israel to postpone its ground attack on the Gaza Strip in order to negotiate the release of more hostages held by Hamas, Bloomberg has reported.

Hamas has released two American captives, a spokesman for the Palestinian group said on Friday. The group added that it freed the hostages to prove US President Joe Biden’s “fascist” administration is wrong.

The White House has released a sweeping set of proposals to bolster Israel and Ukraine in the midst of two wars in the Middle East and Europe as well as invest more in domestic defense manufacturing, humanitarian assistance and managing the influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.

As many as 56% of US citizens are critical of the way President Joe Biden is handling the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas, while 44% are of the opposite view, according to a new poll.