The USA evacuates Americans from Lebanon

The Pentagon is moving U.S. military assets closer to Israel and Lebanon to be ready to evacuate Americans as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies, according to three U.S. defense officials and a former U.S. official familiar with the plans.

The USS Wasp, an amphibious assault ship, and Marines from the 24th Expeditionary Unit, which is special operations capable, moved into the Mediterranean to join the dock landing ship USS Oak Hill and another ship in their amphibious ready group.

The Wasp will operate in the eastern Mediterranean to be ready for a Military Assisted Departure and other missions, the Marine Corps officials said.

The Wasp and the Marine Expeditionary Unit are also intended to project military power and be a deterrent to regional escalation, according to a U.S. official familiar with the plans.

The move comes as tensions continue to mount and cross-border fire increases between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

U.S. officials are increasingly concerned that Israel is going to carry out airstrikes and a possible ground offensive in Lebanon in the coming weeks.

Despite pressure from the Biden administration, Israeli officials have remained firm in their desire to go after Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel hopes to create a 10-mile buffer zone above the Lebanese border, according to U.S. and Israeli officials.

The goal is to restore safety to northern Israel so that 60,000 Israelis who were relocated since October 2023, because of Hezbollah rocket fire attacks in support of Gaza.

The Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit are trained to help civilians flee dangerous environments. The Wasp also has offensive and surveillance capabilities, and can deploy F-35’s, U.S. long-range stealth fighters.

Iran and its Hezbollah proxies are not looking for an all-out war with Israel and prefer the current situation, which puts Israel under international pressure, according to current and former U.S. officials and Western officials.

The fighting in Gaza and in the north is draining Israel’s military, fueling internal political divisions and building tensions with Israeli allies.

We continue to work toward a diplomatic resolution that would allow Israeli and Lebanese citizens to safely return to their homes and live in peace and security.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has been in Washington, D.C., this week to meet with top Biden administration officials.

So now, many aid organizations have already evacuated dependents of their staff from Lebanon, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter.

The CBC reported that Canada is preparing contingency plans to evacuate about 20,000 Canadians from Lebanon and that allied military leaders met last week to discuss options.

NBC / ABC Flash Point News 2024.