The Biden administration has sent to Israel large numbers of munitions, including more than 10,000 highly destructive 2,000-pound bombs and thousands of Hellfire missiles, since the start of the war in Gaza, said two US officials briefed on an updated list of weapons shipments.
While the officials didn't give a timeline for the shipments, the totals suggest there has been no significant drop-off in US military support for its ally.
Amid growing tensions between Israel and the Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah, the United States repositioned the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp to the Mediterranean Sea this week, according to international media reports.
The move came as international bodies expressed concern that the Israel-Hamas war would spill over into Lebanon, where Hezbollah a member of the Iran-backed “Axis of Resistance” - regularly launches attacks into northern Israel.
While the ship’s relocation could be interpreted in many ways, one US official told the Washington Post that it was there for “deterrence” and had the secondary function of evacuating citizens should a full-scale war break out.
Yemen's Houthi terrorist group said they have targeted four vessels in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean on Friday.
The Pentagon announced on Friday afternoon it was removing the humanitarian aid pier from its anchored position in Gaza for a third time in the nearly six weeks it's been operational due to high sea states expected over the weekend.
It's unclear if Central Command will re-anchor the pier once the weather conditions pass as the marshalling area ashore has become overloaded with delivered aid that's been unable to reach the people of Gaza as UN partnering organizations suspended operations due to safety concerns more than two weeks ago.
Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon's deputy press secretary, said the majority of the marshalling area is "pretty full" but it's not yet at capacity.
A diplomatic solution in Lebanon is still possible and the best way to avoid a wider regional war in the North, the Pentagon said on Friday.
"We don't want to see a wider regional war, we want to see a de-escalation of tensions," Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said.
Which is why, according to Singh, the Pentagon has sent the amphibious assault ship USS wasp into the eastern Mediterranean Sea this week.
Singh said the Pentagon is not preparing to evacuate US citizens or military personnel at this time.
USS Wasp has many capabilities other than being a military system departure.
"They are in the region to ensure regional stability to deter aggression," she said.
Sirens indicating rocket attacks and possible drone incursions sounded across northern Israel on Friday after the IDK struck Hezbollah targets earlier in the day.
The sirens sounded in northeastern Israel near the Lebanon border and lasted nearly 15 minutes.
The IDF stated during the barrage that the Israel Air Force had struck a Hezbollah infrastructure belonging to the terror group's Aerial Unit in the Jabal Safi area, north of Nabatieh, in the center of the country.
The IDF said this particular site had been used to launch surface-to-air missiles toward Israeli aircraft over the preceding months.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag on Thursday in Washington, White House Spokesperson Matthew Miller stated on Friday. During the meeting, the two officials discussed the need to increase and sustain humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Blinken and Kaag also discussed ongoing work to address the security challenges threatening aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip and the essential efforts needed to ensure the effective protection of humanitarian workers.
Blinken reemphasized the importance of reaching a ceasefire deal that would entail the release of the hostages and end the IDF's campaign in Gaza.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told her Iranian counterpart, Ali Bagheri Kani, that Iran needed to help prevent a further escalation of the situation in the Middle East.
"Further escalation must be prevented at all costs, and Iran must also contribute to this," Baerbock told the acting Iranian foreign minister in a phone call, according to a German foreign ministry post on X on Friday.
The United Right Party, whose members are Avigdor Liberman, Naftali Bennett, Yossi Cohen, Ayelet Shaked and Gideon Sa'ar, is expected to receive 27 seats in the Knesset elections and be the largest party.
This is according to the latest Maariv survey conducted by Lazar Research, headed by Dr. Menachem Lazar and in collaboration with Panel4All.
Moreover, Bennett even leads over all the candidates in the suitability for the Premiership.
Possible drone intrusion and rocket sirens sounded in northern Israel on Friday evening.
