US to send F-35 and F-15 jets to the Middle East to deter expansion of fighting beyond Israel's borders

• The US is sending squadrons of advanced fighter jets to prevent the war in Israel from escalating.
• US Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 jets will deploy in the region in a "deterrence posture."

On Sunday, US military officials said they will send advanced fighter jets, including F-35s and F-15s, to patrol the Eastern Mediterranean region to deter the war in Israel from spreading beyond the country's borders.

The deployment is a show of support toward one of the US's closest allies after Israel declared war on Hamas following a weekend of lethal fighting that the Israeli Defense Forces say has left 700 Israelis dead and 1,500 wounded by the Palestinian militant group.

The Palestinian Health Ministry reports at least 313 people have been killed and 2,000 injured on the West Bank by Israeli counter-strikes.

The jets will be deployed in addition to the US sending its most advanced aircraft carrier and heavily armed strike group to Israel's coast.

"We have also taken steps to augment US Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region," Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said in a statement released Sunday. "The US maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture if required."

An unnamed official told CNN that about 20-25 fighters will head to the region, though the Department of Defense has not yet released an official number. The squadrons will be tasked with deterring the expansion of the war and preventing any potential Iranian aggression in the fighting.

Insider previously reported that officials from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps partnered with Hamas since August to prepare for the breach of Israel's borders. Iran has long supported international militant groups, including Hamas and the Lebanese group Hezbollah, providing the groups with financial assistance and military hardware — though there have been no widespread reports of involvement by the IRGC in this weekend's conflict in Israel outside helping to plan the attack by Hamas forces.

Secretary Austin indicated that the American military maneuvers were made to strengthen the US's defensive posture and bolster regional deterrence efforts. He added that additional equipment and resources, "including munitions," will arrive in Israel in the coming days.

Representatives for the Department of Defense declined to answer additional questions from Insider confirming how many jets are being deployed and when they will arrive at their destination, instead referencing the public statement made Sunday by Secretary Austin.