The US defence secretary stated that the US has ordered a second carrier strike group and air force fighter jets to the eastern Mediterranean Sea to demonstrate its firm support for Israel which is preparing for a ground assault on Gaza.

Additionally, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin disclosed that the warships are a representation of the US commitment to maintaining Israel’s security rather than being involved in Israel’s operations or the combat in Gaza.

The deployments highlight the US goal of deterring any actions, whether from states or non-state actors, that could further escalate the conflict.

The movements are “part of our effort to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas’s attack on Israel,” Austin said in the statement, CNN reported.

The USS Dwight D Eisenhower strike group will now join the USS Gerald R Ford, the first carrier strike group, that arrived in Israel last week.

Meanwhile, in the Gaza Strip, Israeli troops prepared on Sunday for a ground assault on the region as the country has vowed to annihilate the Hamas fighters in retaliation for a rampage in which its fighters stormed through Israeli towns eight days ago.

Prior to carrying out a ground assault, Israel ordered over one million Palestinians in the northern region of Gaza to evacuate and relocate to the south.

As a result, humanitarian organisations expressed deep concerns over the impending crisis that may ensue.