Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday ordered more destroyers and other military forces to the Middle East following this week’s assassination of Hamas’ political leader in Iran, the military said. The U.S. military statement does not specifically mention Haniyeh's killing. "The Department is also taking steps to increase our readiness to deploy additional land-based ballistic missile defense," the Pentagon statement said. Israel declared war against Hamas and its leaders after the Oct. 7 attacks launched from Gaza, which Hamas controls. Israel’s military has declared the Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, a "dead man walking."

---

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Theodore Roosevelt —, Ismail Haniyeh, Sabrina Singh, Haniyeh, ”, Singh, Austin, Israel, Yahya Sinwar, Yoav Gallant, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: USS Lincoln, Department of Defense, Pentagon, Hamas, U.S . European Command, U.S . Central Command, USS, Israel, Defense Department Locations: Iran, —, U.S, Israel, Gaza, USS Lincoln, Lebanese