US Marine Rapid Response Force Moves to Israel... Preparing for Escalation

"Moving Along Israel-Lebanon Border"
US Evacuation and Measures to Prevent Escalation

The U.S. Marine Corps rapid response force has been urgently dispatched to Israel and is reported to be moving around the eastern Mediterranean region. With the Israeli military's ground operations in the Gaza Strip intensifying and military tensions rising sharply, attention is focused on whether the U.S. military's movements can prevent further escalation. The U.S. forces are reportedly deployed to guard against the possible involvement of regional militias, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, and to assist in the evacuation of residents near the Lebanon-Israel border area.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

On the 29th (local time), CNN cited U.S. government sources saying, "The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, a U.S. Marine rapid response force, is heading toward the eastern Mediterranean," adding, "The expeditionary unit embarked on the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan began heading toward the Suez Canal over the weekend. The Bataan is currently in the Red Sea and is expected to pass through the eastern Mediterranean soon."

According to the source, the rapid response force dispatched this time is expected to be stationed near Israel and Lebanon. They are anticipated to engage in operations to deter armed groups under Hezbollah near Lebanon, which are currently in conflict with Israel, and to assist in evacuating Americans residing in the region.

The U.S. State Department earlier issued an immediate evacuation order on the 27th for U.S. citizens in Lebanon as attacks by Hezbollah-affiliated armed groups against Israel intensified. Previously, during the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the U.S. government issued evacuation orders for its citizens in Lebanon, resulting in about 15,000 Americans evacuating Lebanon over two weeks.

Meanwhile, as the Israeli military's ground operations in the Gaza Strip intensify, concerns are growing that clashes with Hezbollah may also expand. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated on their X (formerly Twitter) account, "Before conducting attacks in the north, our forces struck another anti-tank guided missile unit in southern Lebanon. We also carried out a drone strike against terrorists flying drones across the border."