US Prepared to Respond to Escalation or Targeting of Forces in Israel-Hamas Conflict, Blinken Affirms

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have warned that the United States is prepared to respond if American personnel or armed forces become targets in the Israel-Hamas conflict, which they expect to escalate with the involvement of Iranian proxies. Israel's military response to a deadly attack by Hamas has entered its third week, with airstrikes in Gaza, Syria, and the West Bank. The U.S. has deployed additional military assets to the region to deter aggression. Meanwhile, humanitarian aid is being allowed into Gaza, but the situation remains catastrophic, according to the U.N. World Food Program. President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation and has discussed it with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other world leaders. Non-essential U.S. diplomats in Iraq have been ordered to leave due to heightened tensions.