US Weighs Sending Second Aircraft Carrier As USS Ford Approaches War-Torn Region

The U.S. is reportedly considering deploying a second aircraft carrier to waters near Israel, possibly increasing efforts to warn other countries from trying to exploit the Middle Eastern nation's escalating war against Hamas.

The White House said Monday the supercarrier U.S.S. Gerald Ford was sent to the eastern Mediterranean Sea to warn "enemies of Israel" against thinking "they can or should try to seek advantage from the current situation."

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday U.S. defense officials are now weighing sending another carrier to help deter other nations for joining the war.

For months, the Pentagon has planned to station the U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower in the region, with the carrier and its accompanying ships scheduled to begin their two-week voyage this week, the newspaper reported.

The Ford, the largest warship ever built, and its accompanying ships are anticipated to arrive on Tuesday. 

Officials are now considering whether to have the Eisenhower relieve the Ford upon its arrival – a standard Navy practice – or whether both should remain in the Mediterranean, given the war between Israel and Hamas.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Monday the decision to deploy the Ford is intended to send an "unequivocal message to any actor or nation state" not to get involved in Hamas’s attacks on Israel.

The statement appeared to be a reference to Israel’s rival Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah, which has exchanged fire with Israel in recent days.

Kirby also said “we haven’t seen tangible evidence that Iran was directly involved in participating in or resourcing planning these sets of complex attacks.”

Kirby’s remarks contradicted a previous Journal report claiming Iran helped to plan and coordinate the Hamas attack, but Kirby said officials “cannot corroborate the reporting in the Wall Street Journal.”

The U.S. has plans to possibly evacuate thousands of American citizens in the region if fighting between Israel and Hezbollah leads to an invasion of Lebanon, as The Messenger first reported Monday.

With its arrival in the eastern Mediterranean Sea on Tuesday the Ford could assist with any possible evacuation.

As of Tuesday morning, 1,700 people had died in the war in Israel – including 11 Americans – with more than 1,000 Israelis reported killed in the Hamas attack and 700 Palestinians dead in the Israeli bombing of Gaza.

The Israeli military has also reported discovering the bodies of 1,500 militants in its territory.