The Pentagon reported a significant increase in attacks against American troops in Syria and Iraq on Monday.
These attacks have been attributed to Iran-backed militias and have been ongoing since October 17, with the total number of attacks reaching 38.
While approximately 45 US personnel have been injured, no deaths have been directly linked to these attacks. However, there was an incident where an American contractor suffered a heart attack after early warning systems detected a potential threat near a US base in Iraq last month. Pentagon Spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder described these attacks as “harassing attacks,” and the US has responded once to them.
During a meeting with Iraq’s prime minister, the top American diplomat emphasized the US’s commitment to defending its interests and personnel in the region. The US urged the Iraqi government to hold accountable those responsible for these attacks.
These attacks followed the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, leading the US to send weapons and aid to Israel in support of their right to self-defence. However, the indiscriminate Israeli bombardment in Gaza has resulted in significant civilian casualties, leading to criticism from Arab states and Iran-backed militias in the region. These militias have routinely claimed responsibility for most of the attacks.
In response to rising tensions, the Pentagon has deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups, bolstered fighter jets, moved the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group closer to Israel, and sent an Ohio-class submarine with Tomahawk missiles to deter potential threats in the region.
Meanwhile, during the fourth week of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his concern, asserting that the conflict has rendered the Gaza Strip unsafe for everyone, particularly children, effectively turning the region into a tragic symbol of loss.
On Tuesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres revealed that in the past four weeks, an alarming 89 United Nations employees had lost their lives due to Israeli attacks in Gaza, a tragic statistic without precedent in the organization’s history. The grim reality also extends to journalists who have been killed in Gaza, marking an unprecedented level of violence over the past three weeks.
Guterres, in his recent speeches, continues to emphasize the devastating toll on children in Gaza, with hundreds of boys and girls losing their lives daily. He warns of the destruction of healthcare and welfare infrastructure in Gaza, and he starkly characterizes the region as a heartbreaking graveyard for its innocent children.
Recent data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health paints a grim picture of the situation in Gaza, with over 10,000 lives lost due to Israeli attacks, including a heart-wrenching 4,000 innocent children. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate ceasefire in the face of this devastating human toll.
