Reuters said that Britain sent two ships from the Royal Navy to patrol the eastern Mediterranean and three helicopters.

Reuters quoted a statement by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in which he said that his country would deploy additional military support to enhance security in the region and calm any attempts to escalate the conflict.

The statement indicated that Sunak assured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - in a phone call - "his country's firm support for Israel in the wake of the Hamas attack."

Earlier, Germany announced the provision of two drones to Israel.

This comes after the US aircraft carrier Gerald Ford arrived in the eastern Mediterranean, ready to assist Israel in the war it launched against the Gaza Strip, after it was exposed to a sudden operation by the Palestinian resistance movement (Hamas).