US Sending 'Small Number' of Additional Troops to Middle East

On Monday, the Pentagon announced that the U.S. would be sending a "small number" of additional troops to the Middle East.

Key Details: The U.S. already has 40,000 troops in the Middle East, designed to protect U.S. and allied personnel and assets and to help defend Israel.  This includes Navy warships and both Air Force and Navy fighter jets.

Key Quotes: Major General Pat Ryder said Monday that the move came "in light of increased tension in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution" and "to augment our forces that are already in the region." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement to the people of Lebanon: "Israel's war is not with you. It's with Hezbollah. For too long, Hezbollah has been using you as human shields. It placed rockets in your living rooms and missiles in your garages. Those rockets and missiles are aimed directly at our cities, directly at our citizens. To defend our people against Hezbollah strikes, we must take out those weapons."

For Context: It's unclear exactly how many new U.S. troops are being deployed. The deployments come after Lebanese targets were struck by Israeli forces on Monday, killing hundreds.

How the Media Covered it: Both Fox News (Right bias) and the New York Times (Lean Left bias) noted that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin continues to speak with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant about a potential ceasefire.