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The Pentagon says it has dispatched additional THAAD and Patriot batteries to the region

The US has significantly ramped up its military footprint in the Middle East amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, sending additional air defense systems to the region, the Pentagon has announced.

In a statement on Saturday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he had “activated the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery as well as additional Patriot battalions” in several undisclosed locations in the Middle East to increase the protection of US forces.

THAAD systems have an operational range of about 200km and are designed to intercept various types of missiles. Patriots, which have recently seen action in Ukraine, have a range of up to 160km and can shoot down missiles, drones, and warplanes.

According to Austin, the decision was made after “detailed discussions” with US President Joe Biden “on recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East,” with the overall effort meant to support Israel. The minister added that he had also ordered an unspecified amount of US forces to be ready to deploy “as part of prudent contingency planning.”

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Pentagon sends naval armada in support of Israel

After the Palestinian military group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel earlier this month, the US deployed two aircraft carriers – the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower – as well as support ships to the region.

On Tuesday, CNN reported that the Pentagon had sent 2,000 Marines and sailors to the waters off Israel’s coast to “send a message of deterrence to Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.” 

On Thursday, the Pentagon said its destroyer deployed in the Red Sea had shot down three missiles and several drones launched by Houthi rebels from Yemen. It noted at the time that it could not say what their intended target was, but did not rule out that the attack was meant to hit Israeli facilities.

While Biden has expressed support for Israel in the conflict with Hamas, he said he does not believe it is necessary to send American troops to fight in the region. Amid the violence in the Middle East, he also cautioned Iran “to be careful.”

Tehran has said it will not engage in hostilities “provided that the Israeli apartheid does not dare to attack Iran, its interests, and nationals.”

Paddy Cosgrave received a wave of backlash over his public comments accusing Israel of breaching international law.

Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi are accused of acting against national security, charges their families deny.

Robert Jenrick says PM Rishi Sunak has the “right priorities” despite his party’s by-election losses.

Argentines head to the polls on Sunday to vote in a general election under the shadow of the South American country’s worst economic crisis in two decades, which has driven the rise of an outsider far-right libertarian who is in pole position to win.

Samantha Woll’s death happened amid a recent rise in antisemitic crime in several nations

The president of a Detroit synagogue board, Samantha Woll, was found dead with multiple stab wounds outside her house on Saturday morning, local authorities have reported. While the investigation into her death is still at an early stage, it comes amid a recent rise in antisemitic incidents internationally following the latest escalation between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East.

According to the Detroit Police Department, its officers responded to a call about a person lying on the ground unresponsive at about 6:30 AM. On arrival, emergency services immediately pronounced Woll dead.

“While at the scene, police officers observed a trail of blood leading officers to the victim’s residence, which is where the crime is believed to have occurred,” police corporal Dan Donakowski said.

The FBI confirmed to CNN and the Associated Press that it is assisting Detroit police in the investigation.

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Anti-Semitic, Islamophobic crimes skyrocketing in London

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Detroit Police Chief James E. White called on the public to “remain patient while investigators carefully examine every aspect of the available evidence.”

The official warned against jumping to conclusions at this early stage.

Apart from serving as the president of the board of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, Woll was active in the local political scene as well. She had worked as an aide to Democratic Representative Elissa Slotkin and as a campaign staffer for another Democrat, Attorney General Dana Nessel.

Last Sunday, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned fellow law enforcement officers at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference in San Diego that the US was facing a heightened threat from “lone wolf” terrorists inspired by Hamas’ assault on Israel earlier this month.

Meanwhile, in neighboring Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday that the country had witnessed a “very frightening rise in anti-Semitism” since the latest escalation in the Middle East.

Across the Atlantic, London Metropolitan Police reported on Friday that it had detected similar trends in the British capital, with the number of antisemitic hate crimes rising by 1,353% since the start of the month compared to the same period of last year.

Israeli’s attacks come as military readies for an expected ground offensive on the besieged enclave.

This is the second time since the start of the Israel-Hamas war that airports in Syria are hit simultaneously.

As the conflict between Israel and Gaza enters its 16th day, these are the main developments.

The woman was found at a property in Chesterfield on Saturday after flooding in the area, police say.