The first large US planes started to arrive at Elefsina air base, the home base of the 112th Combat Wing of the Greek air force for operations in the Middle East, the Open broadcaster reported. Other Greek air bases, including on the island of Karpathos, may reportedly be also engaged, if the US military approves their infrastructure.
The air base in Crete has reached capacity, as 30 aircraft are stationed there at the moment, including eight aerial refueling tankers and 10 transport planes, as well as numerous US marines, according to the report.
The Pentapostagma news website reported that the arrival of US aircraft began on Saturday afternoon with the landing of a C-21 aircraft, which then took off two hours after landing. It is possible that the Elefsina airfield will be used for the evacuation of US citizens from combat zones, serving as a refueling and parking hub, the report speculated.
Local residents oppose what they perceive as the transformation of their city into a US military base, media reported, adding that Greek trade unions and civil organizations are preparing a protest rally scheduled for Wednesday.
On October 7, Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border, killing and seizing people in neighboring Israeli communities. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to more than 2 million people, cutting off supplies of water, food and fuel. The blockade was later eased to allow trucks with humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The escalation of the conflict has resulted in thousands of people killed and injured on both sides.