Israel-Gaza updates: Biden speaks with Netanyahu about hostages' release, Gaza humanitarian assistance

The Pentagon announced Saturday evening that it will send an aircraft carrier and air defense systems to defend U.S. military troops in response to a growing number of attacks on U.S. facilities, presumably by Iranian-backed groups as tensions mount as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues.

The aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower is now headed to the Middle East instead of to the eastern Mediterranean. Also, more air defense systems are headed to the Middle East – a THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Air Defense) missile battery that can intercept long-distance missiles, as well as more Patriot battalions to the Middle East to protect U.S. military forces, and also more U.S. troops stateside have been placed on a higher state of readiness to deploy if needed.

"Following detailed discussions with President Biden on recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East Region," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.

The new U.S. military moves are a result of the Israel-Hamas conflict and Iranian proxy attacks on U.S. forces throughout the Middle East.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez

Large crowds gathered in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Washington D.C., London and other cities around the world to rally for Palestinians and call for a cease-fire for the conflict.

Many rally attendees waved Palestinian flags as they marched through the streets in all of the cities waving Palestinian flags and chanting "free Palestine."

There were no reports of arrests and the rallies went through peacefully.

On Friday, over 100 arrests were made for acts of civil disobedience as protesters sat down and blocked traffic in Manhattan, according to the NYPD.

Israel plans to step up its attacks on the Gaza Strip starting Saturday as preparation for the next stage of its war on Hamas, Israel's military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, said Saturday.

Asked about a possible ground invasion into Gaza, Hagari told reporters that the military was trying to create optimal conditions beforehand.

"We will deepen our attacks to minimize the dangers to our forces in the next stages of the war. We are going to increase the attacks, from today," Hagari said.

Hagari also said the IDF will conduct the invasion when it serves the IDF best. He repeated his call for residents of Gaza City to head south for their safety.

In a statement Saturday, Hamas claimed all of Israel's targets in Gaza were civilian in addition to its blockage of electricity, water, fuel and medicine.

"The Israeli targets across Gaza were all civilian including children, women, civil defense rescue teams, hospitals, ambulances, media and press offices, bakeries, mosques, churches and the public infrastructure," Hamas said in a statement.

Hamas said that four hospitals are now out of service and 25 others have been damaged due to Israeli bombing. It also claimed that Israel has told the Red Crescent Society to evacuate Al-Quds Hospital which Hamas claims is currently hosting about 12,000 displaced people.

Hamas also said the aid convoy delivered through the Rafah crossing will not meet the needs of the people in Gaza, calling for more aid to be sent and for safe passage of injured civilians to be allowed.

"We call for the urgent entry of fuel for the hospitals and health centers as they are almost running out of fuel for their generators, and to avoid turning these hospitals into mass graves," Hamas said.