WASHINGTON – The U.S. military flew an unarmed drone over the Gaza Strip to help Israel search for more than 200 hostages taken there by Hamas during the terrorist group’s Oct. 7 attack, the Defense Department announced Friday.
“In support of hostage recovery efforts, the US is conducting unarmed UAV flights over Gaza, as well as providing advice and assistance to support our Israeli partners as they work on their hostage recovery efforts,” Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a statement.
Although Friday marked the first time the Pentagon acknowledged the drone operation, Ryder said the flights “started after the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.”
The revelation came after some media in Israel saw US drones flying over Gaza, despite President Biden’s pledge not to send American troops to the Jewish state to take part in the conflict.
The military uses drones for both military strikes and reconnaissance, with unarmed drones typically performing the latter operations.
The US military flew an unarmed drone over the Gaza Strip to help Israel find more than 200 hostages taken there by Hamas during the terror group’s October 7 attack. AFP via Getty Images
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Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. General Patrick Ryder said, “In support of hostage recovery efforts, the US is conducting unarmed UAV flights over Gaza, as well as providing advice and assistance in support of our Israeli partners.”
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The revelation came after several media outlets in Israel saw US drones flying over Gaza, despite President Biden’s pledge not to send American troops to the Jewish state to take part in the conflict.AP
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The US initially sent special forces operators to Israel to help train and advise on hostage recovery after the October 7 attacks by Hamas, which killed more than 1,400 people — including at least 33 Americans. Gili Yaari/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
The Israel-Hamas War: How we got here
2005: Israel unilaterally withdraws from the Gaza Strip more than three decades after winning the territory from Egypt in the Six-Day War.
2006: The terrorist group Hamas wins Palestinian legislative elections.
2007: Hamas takes control of Gaza in a civil war.
2008: Israel launched a military offensive against Gaza after Palestinian terrorists fired rockets into the city of Sderot.
2023: Hamas launches its biggest attack on Israel in 50 years, in an early morning ambush on Oct. 7, firing thousands of rockets and sending dozens of militants into Israeli cities.
The terrorists killed over 1,400 Israelis, injured over 4,200, and took at least 200 hostages.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly announced, “We are at war,” and promised Hamas would pay “an unprecedented price.”
Gaza’s Ministry of Health – which is controlled by Hamas – reports at least 3,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 12,500 injured since the war began.
The US initially sent special forces operators to Israel to help train and advise on hostage recovery after the October 7 attack by Hamas, which killed more than 1,400 people — including at least 33 Americans.
The American military has left the country, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters at the White House on Thursday.
Officials say a handful of Americans – up to 10 – remain among the hostages trapped in Gaza by Hamas.
“We remain relentlessly focused on the release of hostages, including American citizens,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters Friday after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We discussed this ongoing effort today.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
