US sends unprecedented help to Israel while White House is lit up in blue & white

Munitions on the way as Israel steps up counterattack, US says 'no boots on the ground'

The White House in Washington, D.C. was lit up in the Israeli colors of Blue and White on Monday, as the United States has begun to deliver military aid of an unprecedented scale to Israel in preparation for an expected ground offensive in the war against Hamas.

John Kirby, a spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, confirmed that a first shipment of critically needed munition and other military equipment was “making its way” toward Israel.

“We fully expect there will be additional requests for security assistance for Israel as they continue to expend munitions in this fight,” Kirby added. “We will stay in lockstep with them, making sure that we’re filling their needs as best we can and as fast as we can.”

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke shortly after Kirby's announcement, confirming that at least 11 Americans were killed in the massacre perpetrated by Hamas on Saturday.

Biden said he had “directed my team to work with their Israeli counterparts on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts.”

In his passionate speech, Biden stressed that this wasn’t just any other distant tragedy.

“It is personal for so many American families who are feeling the pain of this attack, as well as the scars inflicted through millennia of antisemitism and persecution of Jewish people.”

“We remember the pain of being attacked by terrorists at home, and Americans across the country stand united against these evil acts that have once more claimed innocent American lives,” Biden added.

Also making its way to Israel is a U.S. carrier strike group led by the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Biden “for American support in words and in actions” during his televised address on Monday evening.

A senior defense official warned that the United States is closely watching Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed groups. He emphasized that the deployment of American ships to the region is meant to deter these groups from joining in the war against Israel, however, he declined to comment on whether the forces would be actively used, the Times of Israel reported.

Kirby later added that “there is no intention to put US boots on the ground.”

In his address, Netanyahu outlined Israel’s strategic goals in the war against Hamas, comparing it to the ISIS terror organization, and predicted it would meet a similar fate.

The first goal of retaking the area surrounding the Gaza Strip and eliminating all invading terrorists was officially announced by the IDF to have been completed on Tuesday.

The second goal will be to shift to an unprecedented, escalated offensive. This is reportedly already underway, as the IDF spokesman on Tuesday revealed that a massive air bombardment has been ongoing for at least 36 consecutive hours.

Securing the other fronts on Israel’s borders is a third goal, according to Netanyahu's address.

Here, the prime minister implicitly warned Israel’s Arab citizens not to join the fighting. The northern border with Lebanon continues to be tense, as Hezbollah continued probing Israeli defenses numerous times on Monday.

The fourth goal the prime minister described was to preserve and expand international support for Israel to grant it maximum freedom of action as it carries out the war.

Finally, Netanyahu emphasized that solidarity within Israel was of utmost importance. “Our polarization is over,” he said, alluding to months of political infighting over his proposed judicial reforms. “And when we are united, we win.”

“Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech is a clear indication that the 'gloves are off' in the Israeli military response to Hamas’ horrific attack on Israeli civilians,” explained Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).

“The U.S. and its allies responded to the atrocities of ISIS with overwhelming military force. The challenge for Israel will be to preserve international support for the legitimacy of its military actions as it tries to eliminate the Palestinian ISIS,” he added.