ALBAWABA - In efforts to reduce their presence in the Middle East, two defense officials told CNN that a United States Marine rapid response force is set to leave the eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea in the upcoming weeks and return to the U.S..
The USS Bataan amphibious ready group and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are slated to begin sailing toward the United States in March, according to one official, though the exact departure date is unknown. If the situation worsens quickly, the Pentagon may still decide to keep the group in the region.
The Marine Rapid Response unit was initially dispatched in July and returned to the region in October. It was originally expanded to remain in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, according to CNN. The Pentagon declined CNN's request to comment on the matter.
The Marines are capable of carrying out amphibious and special operations, and they are also trained to aid in evacuation operations, which is one of the reasons they were dispatched at the start of the Gaza war.
However, as the war approaches its fifth month, the need for an evacuation of American citizens has not arisen.
"We certainly welcome the fact that there have been no attacks," said Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh during a briefing on Thursday. "I think we sent a very strong message with our strikes, and we will continue to do so if we need to, and we'll do so at a time and place of our choosing".
The planned return of the USS Bataan will leave the U.S. without a warship capable of operating fighter jets in the eastern Mediterranean Sea for the first time since Israel launched its brutal war on Gaza on October 7.
The Bataan group consists of 4,000 sailors and Marines, approximately 2,000 of them are members of the 26th MEU, and carries over 24 fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.
Al-Aqsa Flood operation against Israel
Hamas military group announced on Oct. 7 a military operation called "Al-Aqsa Flood" against Israel which is the biggest offensive in decades.
Palestinian fighters “infiltrated” Israel from the Gaza Strip and captured military bases and took hostages as photos and videos went viral online showing Hamas fighters on vehicles inside Israel and others paragliding into occupation territory.
In response, Israeli armed forces announced targeting Hamas positions inside the Gaza Strip. Thousands were killed, and dozens of thousands of others were injured in the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
The latest statistics by the Ministry of Health in Gaza revealed that the death toll from Israeli brutal pounding on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has soared to 29,782 people, with more than 70,043 injuries.
Since then, approximately 85% of Gazans have been displaced, all of whom are suffering from severe food insecurity, and the healthcare system has collapsed. Hundreds of thousands of people lack shelter, and aid trucks are entering the area at a lower rate than before the conflict began.
