The Pentagon announced Sunday that the United States is deploying a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense battery to Israel, a strong show of support for Israel as it attacks UNIFIL peacekeepers in Lebanon and carries out an ethnic cleansing plan in northern Gaza.

The deployment will include "an associated US military staff" to operate the THAAD system, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.

An unnamed Pentagon official told CNN that about 100 US troops are deployed in Israel.

The United States previously deployed the THAAD system to Israel in 2019 for military exercises, Ryder said. The new deployment comes as the United States and Israel coordinate on Israel’s plans to attack Iran, which they expect could provoke a new Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israeli territory.

“The THAAD battery will enhance Israel’s integrated air defense system,” he said. “This action underscores the United States’ unwavering commitment to defend Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from further ballistic missile attacks by Iran,” Ryder said.

"It is part of the broader adjustments the US military has made in recent months to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-backed militias," Ryder added.

Iran fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1, in response to a series of Israeli escalations in the region, including the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. The United States helped intercept some of the Iranian missiles, but many had no impact.

According to experts, Israel is planning to launch airstrikes against targets inside Iran, and the United States is expected to support the attack in some way. NBC News reported that the United States is considering launching airstrikes of its own, but American officials said intelligence support is more likely.