The United States announced that it will send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to Israel, along with U.S. troops to operate it, as tensions continue to rise in the Middle East. The Pentagon’s decision came shortly after Iran issued a stark warning to the U.S., urging it to keep its military forces out of Israel.
This development comes as Israel prepares for what is widely expected to be a military retaliation against Iran following an October 1 attack, during which approximately 180 missiles were fired into Israel. The Israeli military has been engaged in a series of escalations, including intensified airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions in Lebanon and ground operations along the border.
Israel is currently embroiled in a multi-front conflict, waging war against both Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The conflict in Gaza has resulted in catastrophic consequences, with local health authorities reporting over 42,000 Palestinian deaths. While they have not provided details on how many of the deceased were fighters, they noted that women and children make up more than half of the casualties. The war has also left vast areas of Gaza in ruins and displaced nearly 90% of its 2.3 million residents.
A year ago, Hamas-led militants breached Israel’s security fence, launching deadly attacks on military bases and civilian communities. The assault resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and the abduction of approximately 250 others. As of now, about 100 captives are still being held inside Gaza, with estimates suggesting that a third of them have likely perished.
As Israel continues its military operations, the deployment of the THAAD system is seen as part of a broader U.S. effort to support its key ally amid mounting threats from Iranian-backed groups in the region.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
