The United States, which has already announced that it is sending an aircraft carrier, accompanied by a naval force, off the coast of Israel, is ready “if necessary” to deploy a second one in the area, for “reasons of deterrence”. the White House announced.

John Kirby, the spokesman for the White House National Security Council, clarified that it had been planned for some time, before the attacks by Hamas, that a US aircraft carrier would head to the Mediterranean.

This aircraft carrier could, if necessary, go to the Eastern Mediterranean where the first aircraft carrier, the Gerald Ford, the largest warship in the world, is already located.

Kirby also reiterated that US authorities are “actively working” with Israel and Egypt to allow civilians to leave Gaza, which is being pounded by Israeli forces. “We believe that safe passage is important and we want a safe passage corridor to be opened,” he said. “Civilians are not responsible for what Hamas did,” he added, clarifying that he was not in a position to make any specific announcement, nor to determine what the route or “specific corridor” would be.

The US is also “obviously concerned” about rockets being fired by the Lebanese, pro-Iranian Hezbollah group into northern Israel, the spokesman continued. At the moment, however, they have not found “any other factor deliberately seeking to expand the conflict”, he stressed.

According to Kirby, 22 Americans have been killed and another 17 are missing in Israel since last Saturday. But Washington believes that of the 17 missing, “only a handful” are being held hostage by Hamas.