About 2,000 such troops were chosen this weekend to be ready to assist with advising and medical support, The Wall Street Journal first reported.
The forces will be pulled from across the U.S. armed services, with the troops currently stationed inside the Middle East and in nearby Europe. But officials have not said which units were chosen or the location they would deploy to, according to the Journal.
The outlet noted the troops wouldn’t serve in a combat role, and no infantry had been put on prepare-to-deploy order.
Fox News later reported Monday that Austin has given “be ready to deploy” orders for a select number of American troops.
Deputy Defense deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh declined to confirm the reports to members of the press at the Pentagon on Monday.
Israel’s war with Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, has claimed more than 4,000 lives and counting on both sides after Hamas’s surprise assault on Israel on Oct. 7.
The Pentagon’s decision to put troops on standby signals a new layer of support for Israeli troops.
Defense officials have insisted, however, that the Pentagon has no intention of putting U.S. forces on the ground.
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
