US Ready To Send More Military Aid To Israel: Defense Secretary Austin

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Friday that the Pentagon was ready to deploy more military aid to Israel as Israeli forces prepare for a likely invasion of Gaza in response to a devastating attack by the militant group Hamas.

Austin said that munitions, air defence capabilities and other equipment and resources were "rapidly flowing" to Washington's closest Middle Eastern ally. Israel has vowed to crush Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that rules Gaza.

Israel launched its heaviest-ever bombardment of the Gaza Strip after Hamas carried out an unprecedented and shocking cross-border attack into southern Israel on 7 October.

Israel's response, which has already involved dropping thousands of bombs on Gaza, is expected to intensify as it prepares a possible ground assault on the narrow, densely populated coastal strip.

The United States and other Western allies have said they will support Israel as it prosecutes what Israeli leaders say will be a prolonged war.

"The USS Gerald R Ford strike group is now in the region led by the largest aircraft carrier in the world. We've augmented US fighter aircraft squadrons in the Middle East and ... stand fully ready to deploy additional assets if necessary," Austin told reporters in Tel Aviv.

Austin, who spoke alongside his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, cautioned that it was a time for "resolve" and not "revenge".