The U.S. military has selected about 2,000 soldiers to prepare for a possible deployment in support of Israel, The Wall Street Journal and Associated Press reported, citing U.S. officials on condition of anonymity.

The Pentagon has sent a “preparation for deployment” order to about 2,000 US soldiers to be ready to respond in the war between Israel and Hamas, two US officials said, according to reports cited by News.ro.

According to officials, these troops are currently deployed both in the Middle East and beyond, particularly in Europe.

It is unclear under what circumstances and where the US might deploy troops, but the Pentagon’s decision suggests that Washington is preparing to support Israeli forces if Israel launches a ground invasion of Gaza.

“These soldiers are not intended for combat missions”

Either way, it’s personnel from across the U.S. armed forces involved in missions such as counseling and medical support, officials said.

According to officials, these soldiers are not intended for combat missions. The troops will perform a variety of support functions, such as additional medical support or explosive ordnance support, providing additional security at checkpoints, one of the officials said.

These soldiers will not be sent to Israel, but may be sent to countries in the region.

No infantry service members were listed as being ordered to prepare for deployment, the WSJ reported.

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