(i24) A US Marine rapid response force is headed to the waters off the coast of Israel, CNN reported on Monday, citing a defense official familiar with the planning.

The force, consisting of 2,000 Marines and sailors, will join a growing number of US warships and forces converging on Israel as the US seeks to send a message of deterrence to Iran and prevent the war in Gaza from spilling over into a regional conflict.

CNN reported earlier that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has ordered that roughly 2,000 troops prepare for a potential deployment to Israel to help with tasks like medical and logistical support, according to multiple defense officials.

The order does not mean that the troops definitely will deploy, or that any will serve in a combat role if they do go to Israel, officials said. Austin’s decision, however, has shortened the time the identified troops will have to prepare for a deployment if they are ordered to go, according to officials.

The move comes as the US military is bolstering its presence in Middle East. On Saturday, the Pentagon ordered the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean near Israel to deter Iran or Hezbollah from joining the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The USS Eisenhower joins the USS Gerald R Ford carrier strike group that arrived there last week and is in international waters off of Israel.