1 of 2 | The 28,000-ton Argus, a 100-bed primary casualty reception ship, is one of two Royal Navy vessels due to arrive in the eastern Mediterranean next week as part of a naval task group Britain is deploying to the region to provide “practical support to Israel and partners in the region and offer deterrence and assurance.” Photo courtesy Royal Navy
Britain said Friday it was sending two Royal Navy ships, RAF surveillance aircraft, and marines, to the eastern Mediterranean to provide backup amid the war between Israel and Hamas.
The deployment was meant to deliver “practical support to Israel and partners in the region, and offer deterrence and assurance” while the Boeing P8 spy planes would begin patrols Friday to “track threats to regional stability such as the transfer of weapons to terrorist groups,” No. 10 and the Defense Ministry said in a news release. Advertisement
The Royal Navy task group would be arriving in the eastern Mediterranean next week as a contingency measure to support humanitarian efforts.
Three Merlin helicopters and a company of Royal Marines are also being dispatched with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ordering military forces in Israel, Cyprus and across the region to be reinforced to “support contingency planning and the efforts of neighboring countries to deal with any spillover from instability in Israel.”
The announcement came a day after Sunak pledged Britain’s unwavering support in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, underscored by the dispatching to Israel of Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on Wednesday. Advertisement
“We must be unequivocal in making sure the types of horrific scenes we have seen this week will not be repeated,” said Sunak. “Alongside our allies, the deployment of our world-class military will support efforts to ensure regional stability and prevent further escalation.
“Our military and diplomatic teams across the region will also support international partners to re-establish security and ensure humanitarian aid reaches the thousands of innocent victims of this barbaric attack from Hamas terrorists,” the prime minister added.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office said it was chartering flights to evacuate British citizens stranded in Israel after at least eight airlines suspended flights to the country with the first aircraft plane was expected to depart Thursday from Tel Aviv.
However, no flights had taken off as of Friday morning with a Foreign Office spokesman telling the BBC that the situation was “fluid,” and it was working to ensure the flight could depart “as soon as possible.”
