UK deployed 1K additional troops in Middle East since Oct 7
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The UK adds to its forces deployed in the Middle East as the Israeli aggression on Gaza continues.
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A British soldier sits in an AS90 and takes part in a military exercise with Ukrainian soldiers at a military training camp in an undisclosed location in England, Friday, March 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The UK's Junior Defense Minister James Heappey mentioned on Monday that Britain has increased its military presence in the Middle East by deploying an additional 1,000 personnel since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Resistance's Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, The Guardian reported.
This revises the previously mentioned figure, which was mistakenly stated as 600 by UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps.
Shapps claimed that the deployed forces include personnel stationed in "Tel Aviv", Beirut, and Jordan to safeguard the British military and civilians in the region.
According to defense sources, the move is aimed at providing "liaison" with the Israeli occupation forces and developing contingency plans for emergency evacuation in the event of a broader war involving Hezbollah and potentially Iran, as per The Guardian.
Despite concerns raised by opposition Labour's shadow defense secretary John Healey regarding planned cuts to the British army's size, Shapps expressed confidence in managing the increased deployment and responding to international events effectively.
"I am satisfied that we cut our cloth in order to react to events around the world," he said.
The United Kingdom had already sent a surveillance aircraft to the Eastern Mediterranean and 100 Royal Marines troops.
It is noteworthy that the UK is not the first to deploy troops to the Middle East amid the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza. The United States deployed 900 soldiers to the US Central Command [CENTCOM] Area of Responsibility, "in a move to deter the escalation of a broader conflict and enhance the US force protection capabilities," Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder announced in late October.
Additionally, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said that his country deployed a "significant contingent" of troops and aircraft to the Middle East. The Australian government said additional troops and two military transport planes would join the Australian Army in the region.
Also, the German and Dutch governments deployed Special Forces units to Cyprus, according to German newspaper Bild, citing security sources.
The German Army sent units from its Special Forces Command (KSK), Navy Special Forces (KSM), and the Federal Police Special Forces (GSG 9), as well as two military transport aircraft, Bild reported.
The GSG 9 specializes in hostage rescue operations, as the German newspaper reported that there is a "double-digit number" of German citizens held captive by the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza.
